Biographies
Keith Nesbitt
Dr. Keith Nesbitt completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Newcastle University in 1988 and his Masters in Computing in 1993. Between 1989-1999, Keith worked on applied computer research for BHP Research. His PhD examined the design of multi-sensory displays and was completed at Sydney University in 2003. After completing his PhD he accepted a faculty position at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, teaching computer games and programming between 2003-2006. In 2007 he completed a post-doctoral year in Boston working at The New England Complex Systems Institute before joining Newcastle University where he is currently employed in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computing. He has over 100 peer reviewed publications. His more creative work includes the lyrics for 5 albums and a musical and 12 painting exhibits.
Paul Williams
Dr. Paul Williams completed a PhD in both cognitive and clinical psychology at the University of Newcastle, under the supervision of Dr. Ami Eidels. He developed a novel online paradigm to study the behavioral phenomenon known as the “hot hand.” He is currently working as a full-time clinical psychologist in the Read clinic, Erina, Australia.
Patrick Ng
Patrick is a student at the University of Newcastle. He completed his Bachelor of Information Technology Honours (Class one) at the University of Newcastle in 2013 before commencing his PhD studies. He is interested in how sound can be used to enhance player performance in computer games.
Karen Blackmore
Dr. Karen Blackmore is a Senior Lecturer in Information Technology within the School of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Newcastle. Blackmore is a spatial scientist with research expertise in the modelling and simulation of complex social and environmental systems. Her research interests cover the use of agent-based models for simulation of socio-spatial interactions, and the use of simulation, virtual environments, and games for serious purposes. Her research is cross-disciplinary and empirical in nature, and extends to exploration of the ways that humans engage and interact with models and simulations. She has expertise in the study of affective processing and engagement in virtual environments. With a focus on data analytics, experimental design and physiological measurements, Blackmore's research considers how objective measures can be used to quantify the complex interactions occurring in the game space.
Ami Eidels
After completing his PhD in Tel Aviv University, Ami accepted a post-doctoral research position in Jim Townsend's Mathematical Psychology laboratory, Indiana University, Bloomington. He then accepted a faculty position at the School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia. His research focuses on human perception and attention, and information processing models. In particular, he is interested in how various sources of information are processed and combined, and how cognitive workload affects the efficiency of processing and the capacity of our cognitive system.