Meet Our Team
Principal Investigator
Sandra Danilovic
Dr. Sandra Danilovic, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Game Design and Development at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University. She is also affiliated with the Department of Psychology's Community Psychology Program, where she supervises graduate students. Working from an equity lens, she collaborates with marginalized communities through game-based and community-engaged research frameworks. Her books include Arts for Health: Games (Emerald, 2024) and the forthcoming Game Design Therapoetics (University of California Health Humanities Press, UCSF). She is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker, notably for her semi-autobiographical machinima film, Second Bodies, winner of Best Documentary at the 2010 San Francisco New Media Film Festival; and director/producer of two films on the immigrant experience, Portrait of a Street: The Soul and Spirit of College, broadcast on PBS; and Just Arrived, broadcast on Rogers OMNI Television.
Co-Investigators
Michelle Skop
Dr. Michelle Skop, PhD, RSW, is an Associate Professor, as well as the Associate Dean of the Master of Social Work Program, in the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University. Prior to her faculty appointment, Skop practiced as a social worker in the fields of mental health and healthcare in hospital and community settings. Skop’s program of research includes the following aims: (1) to explore how art making can lead to change processes within the individual and the larger community; (2) to examine how people’s experiences of health and illness are impacted by their intersectional identities; and (3) to design, implement, and evaluate critical, collaborative, and experiential pedagogical frameworks in social work education. In 2022, Skop was awarded the Donald F. Morgenson for Teaching Excellence in the category of Innovation in Teaching.
Vanessa Oliver
Vanessa earned her PhD in Women and Gender Studies, concurrently with a CIHR/CHSRF Ontario Training Centre Diploma in Health Services and Policy, at York University. Her research prioritizes community-engaged participatory methods, solidarity and anti-oppression work, the social determinants of health, and reproductive justice. For many years, she has worked with and for equity-deserving communities on a number of arts-based, community-driven projects. Her most recent work engages 2SLGBTQIA+ young people in conversations about sexuality education. Vanessa is an Associate Professor in Youth and Children’s Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Graduate Research Assistants
Kenny Chee
Kenny Chee (He/Him/His) holds an M.A. in Community Psychology and has completed his Master of Social Work. In his free time, Kenny enjoys hiking and playing video games.
Victoria Rozycki
Victoria Rozycki is a PhD student in Community Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research broadly centres on housing justice and harm reduction. She has been involved in a range of community-based participatory research projects, with a primary focus on evaluations of Housing First and Housing First for Youth programs.
Alia Skillman
Alia is a Wilfrid Laurier University alumna whose most recent academic achievement was completing her Master’s degree in Social Justice and Community Engagement. Her major research paper is titled An Analysis of Gamification and Game-Based Learning as Strategies for Anti-Oppressive Education. She currently enjoys participating in game jams in her free time and looks forward to exploring PhD programs to further her academic journey.
Reenie Perkovic
Reenie Perkovic (she/they) is a Certified Music Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) specializing in supporting underrepresented communities. Reenie completed a Master of Music Therapy and loves writing songs, social folk dancing, and walking in nature.
Eamon Gaudio
Eamon Gaudio (he/him) holds a Master of Design (MDes) in Inclusive Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art (BFAA) in Game Design and Development. Eamon works at Natural Resources Canada, contributing to the sustainable and inclusive development of Canada’s natural resources. In his free time, Eamon enjoys running, cycling and reading.
Muhammad Umair Danish
Muhammad Umair Danish is a PhD candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Western University, Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Master of Science (MS) in Software Engineering from COMSATS University Islamabad and the University of Lahore, Pakistan. His research focuses on machine learning, explainable AI and mechanistic interpretability.
Abdul Muhaymin Mohammed
Abdul Muhaymin Mohammed (He/Him/His) holds a Master of Applied Computing from Wilfrid Laurier University and has experience in data analytics, AI, and software development. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring different places, playing soccer, and watching thrillers.
Rianna Harbron
My name is Rianna. I work as a therapeutic recreationist with seniors, holding an Honours Bachelor of Music from Lakehead University and a Master of Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University. I am currently planning to pursue a Master of Social Work degree. Composing music, writing stories, and playing and creating video games are my favourite ways to spend my time. I am passionate about finding ways to make creative pursuits more accessible to everyone. I also believe in the importance of using fiction and fun activities as ways to heal and grow. Working with Sandra on this research project was extremely exciting for me, as it combined my passions for social justice and my favourite leisure activities. I am excited to see further research in this area, and was honoured to be a part of this project.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Monica Marcu
Monica Marcu is currently a Computer Science student at Wilfrid Laurier University, specializing in Big Data Systems with a minor in Mathematics. Outside of class, she loves to powerlift, and ride her Ninja 400. She also built this website!
Catherine Armour
Catherine Armour (She/They) has just completed her Bachelor's degree in Game Design. She enjoys writing, role-playing games (RPGS), and drawing critters. She also created the art for this website!
Maya Harry
Maya Harry is a game designer and developer who focuses on creating game experiences as art pieces. Her focus is on horror and other genres, as well as how to make those experiences in line with the narratives she wants to tell. She is currently studying Game Programming at Humber College and holds a BFAA in Game Design from Wilfrid Laurier University. She intends to pursue a Master's degree in Game Studies at Brock University.
Nedward WD Rehanek
Nedward WD Rehanek (He/Him) is a game designer and researcher. Studying at Laurier in Game Design and then OCAD for Inclusive Design, he has a focus on disability representation in video games. He creates small games to talk about autistic viewpoints, mixed with his own trans experience. He is currently continuing to develop games and focus on his research of autism and autistic representation through non-playable characters. His work can be found at https://wakayrd.com
