OC Department of Gaming + Animation hosts virtual Q&A sessions with alumni in April

Trifecta Communications panel on April 3 included Trey Scheurer, Linh Le and Adam Libby; April 10 session to feature Alex Waldo from Crystal Dynamics.

April 1, 2020 - Oklahoma Christian University faculty and students may not be able to meet in person, but that didn’t stop Ellie Kirkner, one of OC’s instructors for gaming + animation. Working with past OC alumni, Kirkner hosted Trifecta Communications professionals for a Question and Answer session on April 3, via Blackboard Collaborate.

The session included three OC alumni: Trey Scheurer, Linh Le and Adam Libby. They discussed their experiences preparing for graduation, life after OC, as well as working at Trifecta Communications, a marketing company that combines “technology and storytelling” in innovative ways for clients. Each professional worked within a separate branch of the virtual industry: Scheurer in emerging technology, Le in concept art and Libby in unity programming. 

Along with the online Q&A, Kirkner discussed her hopes for alumni appearances in the future.

“We have four more confirmed speakers: one each from Arcane Wonders, Funimation, Blayze Games and K20 Center,” Kirkner said. “We’re hoping to book more going into the summer.”

Dean of OC’s College of Liberal Arts Tina Winn discussed her pride in the faculty continuing to pursue excellence through the online classroom as well as making connections with alumni. This included Kirkner’s pursuit to spread the word of live stream as an event for prospective students due to current conditions.

“Thank you, [Kirkner], for your good work with our students and industry professionals,” Winn said. “I loved seeing this shared with prospective students.”

On April 10, Kirkner and OC’s chapter of the International Game Developers Association will also host graphic design alumnus Alex Waldo, who works at Crystal Dynamics, one of the top game studios in the world. The company developed the “Tomb Raider” and “Avengers: Endgame” video games. 

Waldo will talk to students about how to prepare their portfolio and his life after OC. The online talk will be hosted on BB Collaborate from 3:30-4:45 p.m. The link to view and join is here. 

Even during times of difficulty, OC faculty are committed to providing students with excellent opportunities within future industry fields. This includes making connections with alumni and other professionals within students’ fields of study.