STEPHEN GONZALEZ
Assistant Professor Rank II | Rider University
I'm a University Professor who has been teaching Game Development since 2012. I'm currently teaching at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and am building a game, which is a personal passion project. I am also the director of the Summer Game Design Academy, which teaches high school kids how to make video games. I hold 4 degrees in Game Design and Development and had the privilege of being one of three recipients of the Take Two Scholarship when I did my Master's at New York University.
Stephen Gonzalez graduated from the New York University Game Center in 2021 with an MFA in Game Design. He also holds a BFA in Game Design from Bloomfield College, as well as a certificate in Game Design from Vancouver Film School. Before joining the Rider University faculty, he developed and taught Game Design for 10 years at Bergen Community College. With a finger on the pulse of the gaming industry, Mr. Gonzalez uses his passion for teaching and learning to become more knowledgeable about current trends and technology to help his students learn the latest tools to make their games easier.
He has participated in STEM Research Programs with high school students, developed budgets for computer labs to be equipped with bleeding-edge hardware and software for game development, and helped students with their projects to produce games in the market. Specializing in level design and environment art, Mr. Gonzalez is knowledgeable in a broad range of necessary game development skills such as 2D and 3D animation, modeling, texturing, lighting, and more. Having gone through mentorships with Take-Two Interactive, Rock Star Games, and NYU Game Center Game Designers, he is well-versed in industry standards and has a strong sense of what is expected within the game industry.
https://www.rider.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/stephen-gonzalez
https://www.rider.edu/westminster-conservatory/precollege-summer-arts/game-design
https://itch.io/jam/rider-university-3rd-annual-48-hour-game-jam/entries
GDEX 2026 Presentation: Challenges of Teaching Game Development
This seminar is targeted at educators, current/aspiring students, and game developers curious about the bridge between education and industry. As a Game Design Professor, I address the core challenges of teaching game development in higher education due to the field's broad scope of required skills (programming, level design, 3D modeling/animation, audio, narrative, etc.) and the difficulty of keeping curricula current amid rapid technological change. The session explores practical teaching tactics I've used and observed, how teaching methods evolve with new tools and industry shifts, and strategies for producing market-ready graduates.
Key topics include integrating new middleware and game engine feature updates, effectively incorporating AI tools into coursework (with opportunities and pitfalls), and aligning academic programs with current industry needs. Drawing on real classroom case studies and my dual industry/academia experience, the seminar offers insights on how professors adapt to an ever-changing field in Game Development. With time for a Q&A session at the end.
