Webinar: Building an Academic Esports Program in Higher Ed by CDW Education

Building an Academic Esports Program in Higher Ed

About

Esports offers many opportunities for higher education institutions to attract, engage, and educate students. Join us as our experts dive into how colleges and universities like yours can establish a collegiate esports program on their campuses. In this discussion, our panelists will share their wealth of experience and insights, answering questions and providing practical advice on a range of topics, including:

- Starting an esports program and developing a curriculum
- Unexpected challenges outfitting a gaming facility
- Selecting between a student-led club and a faculty-led varsity team
- Organization-wide partnerships critical to the success of an esports program
- Fostering a diverse and inclusive community centered around gaming

By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped with the knowledge necessary to develop a collegiate esports program on their own campus, and the benefits and obstacles to consider during the process.

Presenters

Danielle Rourke

Manager, Esports in Education | CDW Education

Danielle Rourke is the National Esports Manager for CDW and brings extensive leadership and technology skills, having worked in a variety of disciplines and industries. A technologist, analyst, & strategist at heart, one of Danielle's true passions is helping broker technological solutions to help students, staff, & faculty across the globe engage more fully in the power of education. She also holds a long-standing love of the way gaming can connect communities & generations. Danielle sees & lives the incredible value in connecting the gaming community with career & educational opportunities. Before CDW, Danielle was an Education Innovation Strategist at Dell Technologies and served as an Associate Director of Information Technology for the University of Colorado Boulder, where she championed new and innovative methods of utilizing technology to make education more accessible to under-served student populations.

Christopher Turner

Director, Mixed Reality Virtual Innovation Gaming and Esports Institute | Southern University

Christopher Turner is the Director of Southern University Law Center's Mixed Reality Virtual Innovation Gaming and Esports Institute, Director, and founder of Southern University Esports and Southern University Laboratory School Esports. As a young educator, graphic design, visual arts, and technology have always been a great passion of Turner’s. With more than ten years of teaching experience, He has found a way to effectively incorporate esports educational advancements in both K-12 and collegiate settings. Living by the motto that esports is an effective way to promote student engagement across the curriculum, He has excelled at becoming an advocate for esports through curriculum development, coaching, and consulting. Turner has set out on a mission to enrich the lives of all educators, gamers, and students. He aspires to improve and transform the way in which educators view esports, align curriculum standards, obtain funding, and build long lasting esports clubs and programs.

Nikita Bair

Program Manager, Esports | Syracuse University

Nikita Bair (he/him/his) joined the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in November 2023 as the program manager of esports.Prior to joining Syracuse University, Bair was a full-time faculty and coordinator of esports at Shenandoah University (Va.) from 2021-2023, leading the program’s global and experiential learning initiatives and teaching a variety of classes in esports and information systems. Before moving on to Shenandoah University, he founded the varsity esports program at Northeastern University in 2020.

Alyssa Duran

Interim Esports Director | Shenandoah University

As coordinator of esports competition, Duran is responsible for overseeing all aspects of competition for the varsity esports teams, including assisting with events, managing coaches, and recruiting. With several years of experience competing and coaching at St. Ambrose University, she brings a new perspective on sports competition and how to organize and run a program to the Shenandoah esports experience.

Lynzie Wagaman

Assistant Director of Esports and Partnerships | Harrisburg University

Lynzie is a recent graduate of Harrisburg University in the esports management, production, and performance program. Over the last four years, she has been exploring the esports industry through various internships and volunteer experiences. Most recently, Lynzie completed an internship with the esports organization Evil Geniuses as a partnerships intern. She is excited to apply her passion for esports at HU and grow the program for future students.