Penny Kyburz

Prof. Penny Kyburz is a Professor and Associate Director (Engagement & Impact) at the School of Computing, Australian National University. She leads the GameFlow Lab and teaches Game Development, focusing on AI, human-AI interaction, and game design. Her work bridges academia and industry, with 20+ award-winning games including four BAFTA nominations. She holds a PhD, B.InfoTech(Hons), G.C.Ed.(Higher Ed.), and G.C.Acad.Prac.

Education:

• Ph.D.
• B.InfoTech(Hons)
• Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education)
• Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice

Research Interests:

• Video games, game design, and player experience
• AI and human-AI collaboration
• Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality applications
• Technology policy and digital rights
• Educational games and accessibility

Awards:

• 4 BAFTA nominations for game contributions
• High critic scores for usability-tested AAA games

Grants/Projects:

• IDEATE (2024–2028)
• MEC23: Advanced Biometrics (2023)
• C2 Sociotechnical Collaboration (2022–2024)
• Role-Based Deception in Games (2020–2021)

Her GameFlow model and book on emergence in games are foundational in player experience research. She advocates for diversity in tech and has advised on digital rights in the Senate.