Dr. Allan Fowler | UX/UI | Excellence in Research Award

Associate Professor at University of Auckland, New Zealand

Dr. Allan Fowler is a distinguished academic specializing in game design, educational technologies, augmented and virtual reality, and human-computer interaction, with a strong focus on inclusive design for neurodiverse populations. He currently holds academic appointments in New Zealand and the United States, and has gained international recognition for his research, teaching, and service to the academic and gaming communities. His multidisciplinary work bridges technology, education, and social inclusion, making him a leading voice in the domain of games for learning and digital interaction.

Publication Profile 

Scopus

Educational Background 🎓

• PhD in Computer Science
  Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand (2010–2014)

Professional Experience 💼

• Associate Professor, Columbia University (2022–present)

• Associate Professor, University of California (2020–present)

• Senior Lecturer, Design Programme, Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, University of Auckland (2020–present)

Additional Professional Roles:

• Editor/Associate Editor for:

  • Springer-Nature Humanities & Social Sciences

  • Journal of Applied Computing and Information Technology

  • International Journal of Game-Based Learning

• Program Committee Member:

  • ACM ITiCSE, SIGCSE

  • Foundations of Digital Games (FDG)

  • iLRN and Game Jam Conferences

• Board Member: Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA)

• Judge: NZ Game Awards, Independent Games Festival (IGF)

Research Interests 🔬

• Game Design and Game Jams

• Games for Learning and Education Technology

• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

• Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)

• Digital Inclusion and Neurodiversity in Technology Use

• Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in Game Development

Awards and Honors🏆✨

• Best Paper Award, ICGJ 2021

• Presidential Diversity Award – Outstanding Contribution

• Excellence in Research Award

• CITRENZ Awards:

  • Collaborative Research

  • Excellence in Educational Innovation

Research Grants (Selected):

• 2022: InternetNZ Digital Inclusion Grant – STEAM Powered Futures

• 2021: University of Auckland PBRF Grant – Inner PEACE Project

• 2017: NSF INCLUDES – SEAPD-STEM, Senior Investigator/Co-PI

Conclusion🌟

Dr. Allan Fowler is a pioneering scholar and educator at the intersection of digital technology, education, and inclusive design. With academic appointments across multiple countries and a portfolio of research that includes games for social good, educational innovation, and interactive technologies, he is making significant contributions to both academia and the global game development community. His leadership in game-based learning and commitment to diversity and inclusion continue to shape future directions in digital education and human-computer interaction.

Publications 📚

1. 📄 Luxton-Reilly, A., Tempero, E., Arachchilage, N., Chang, A., Denny, P., Fowler, A., et al. (2023)
   Automated Assessment: Experiences From the Trenches.
   📍 25th Australasian Computing Education Conference (ACE)
   🔗 doi:10.1145/3576123.3576124

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2. 📄 Tu, Y.-C., Terragni, V., Tempero, E., Shakil, A., Meads, A., Giacaman, N., Blincoe, K., & Fowler, A. (2022)
   GitHub in the Classroom: Lessons Learnt.
   📍 Australasian Computing Education Conference
   🔗 doi:10.1145/3511861.3511879

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3. 🎮 Lai, G., Kultima, A., Khosmood, F., Pirker, J., Fowler, A., Vecchi, I., et al. (2021)
   Two Decades of Game Jams.
   📍 6th International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons, and Game Creation Events (ICGJ)
   🔗 doi:10.1145/3472688.3472689

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4. 👦 Fowler, A. (2019)
   Jamming with Children.
   📍 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG)
   🔗 doi:10.1145/3337722.3341842

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5. 📖 Fowler, A., & Khosmood, F. (2022)
   Game Jams – History, Technology, and Organisation.
   🏢 Springer Nature
   🔗 doi:10.1007/978-3-031-15187-3

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6. 📖 Kultima, A., Fowler, A., & Khosmood, F. (2023)
   There Is No One Way to Jam.
   📍 In: Game Jams – History, Technology, and Organisation
   🔗 doi:10.1007/978-3-031-15187-3_2

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7. 📘 Fowler, A. (2019)
   Beginning iOS AR Game Development: Developing Augmented Reality Apps with Unity and C#.
   🏢 Apress, Berkeley, CA
   Chapters include:

   • 🔍 Hit Testing and Lighting

   • 🌐 Adding Plane Detection and Point Clouds

   • 🎮 Making AR Games

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   🗞️ Fowler, A. (2021)
   Explaining China’s Games Ban.
   📍 Newsroom (Ideasroom)
   🔗 Read article

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   💊 Baghaei, N., Fowler, A., & Maddison, R. (2020)
   Supporting Disease Prevention and Lifestyle Changes Through Gaming.
   📄 Games for Health Journal, 9(6), 387–388
   🔗 doi:10.1089/g4h.2020.0161

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10. 🎮 Fowler, A., & Pirker, J. (2021)
    Tokenfication – The Potential of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) for Game Development.
    📍 Extended Abstracts of CHI PLAY 2021
    🔗 doi:10.1145/3450337.3483501

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