DiGRA
Encyclopedia
DiGRA is a non-profit, international association of academics and practitioners (Pracademic
s) whose work focuses on digital games and associated activities. DiGRA was formally established in 2003 and continues to operate as a non-profit registered in Finland. The first president of DiGRA was professor Frans Mäyrä
who was followed by professor Tanya Krzywinska in 2006. DiGRA's president is currently professor Helen Kennedy.
DiGRA aims to coordinate activities related to academic research of games in different disciplines, in different parts of the world. For this purpose, several local chapters and special interest groups (SIGs) have been set up within DiGRA. Together with local organisers, DiGRA has so far produced four bi-annual conferences: Level Up in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2003, Changing Views – Worlds in Play in Vancouver, Canada in 2005, Situated Play in Tokyo, Japan in 2007, Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory in West London, UK in 2009 and Think, Design, Play in Utrecht, The Netherlands in 2011. The published papers from these conferences are collected and made available online in the DiGRA digital library.
Executive Board 2007-2009
1. President: Tanya Krzywinska (UK)
2. Vice-President: Douglas Thomas
(US)
3. Treasurer: Jussi Holopainen (Finland)
4. Board Secretary: Bob Appelman (US – Indiana)
5. Liaison Officer: Helen Kennedy (UK)
6. Dissemination Officer: Tony Manninen (Finland)
7. Open Seat: Patrick Crogan (Australia)
8. Open Seat: Marinka Copier (Netherlands)
9. Open Seat: Esther Macallum-Stewart (UK)
10. Open Seat: Torill Mortensen (Norway)
11. Open Seat: José P. Zagal (Chile)
12. Open Seat: Veronica Zammitto (Argentina)
13. Open Seat: Akira Baba (Japan)
Pracademic
A pracademic is someone who is both an academic and an active practitioner in their subject area.The term has a history of at least 30 years, but its first coining is unclear. The earliest reference may have been identified by a subscriber to Worldwide Words as being 1973.In his 2001 Article 'The...
s) whose work focuses on digital games and associated activities. DiGRA was formally established in 2003 and continues to operate as a non-profit registered in Finland. The first president of DiGRA was professor Frans Mäyrä
Frans Mäyrä
Frans Mäyrä is a professor of hypermedia, especially digital culture and game studies in the University of Tampere, Finland. His background is in comparative literature and the arts studies, and he has worked in subjects related particularly to fantasy, science fiction, horror fiction, video games...
who was followed by professor Tanya Krzywinska in 2006. DiGRA's president is currently professor Helen Kennedy.
DiGRA aims to coordinate activities related to academic research of games in different disciplines, in different parts of the world. For this purpose, several local chapters and special interest groups (SIGs) have been set up within DiGRA. Together with local organisers, DiGRA has so far produced four bi-annual conferences: Level Up in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2003, Changing Views – Worlds in Play in Vancouver, Canada in 2005, Situated Play in Tokyo, Japan in 2007, Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory in West London, UK in 2009 and Think, Design, Play in Utrecht, The Netherlands in 2011. The published papers from these conferences are collected and made available online in the DiGRA digital library.
Executive Board 2007-2009
1. President: Tanya Krzywinska (UK)
2. Vice-President: Douglas Thomas
Douglas Thomas
Douglas Thomas is an American scholar, researcher, and journalist. He is currently Associate Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California where he studies technology, communication, and culture...
(US)
3. Treasurer: Jussi Holopainen (Finland)
4. Board Secretary: Bob Appelman (US – Indiana)
5. Liaison Officer: Helen Kennedy (UK)
6. Dissemination Officer: Tony Manninen (Finland)
7. Open Seat: Patrick Crogan (Australia)
8. Open Seat: Marinka Copier (Netherlands)
9. Open Seat: Esther Macallum-Stewart (UK)
10. Open Seat: Torill Mortensen (Norway)
11. Open Seat: José P. Zagal (Chile)
12. Open Seat: Veronica Zammitto (Argentina)
13. Open Seat: Akira Baba (Japan)