Events

RSVP for the Gaming Industry Discussion

Friday, October 10, 12-1pm
ITE 459

Are you interested in a career in gaming? Join us for a special event cohosted with the UMBC Game Developers Club, where industry leaders will share their insights and experiences. You’ll hear from Marc Almanzor, who uses gaming to drive nonprofit fundraising; Tronster Hartley, a senior developer at Firaxis Games known for his work on Civilization and XCOM; Tony Li, founder of Pixel Crushers and creator of narrative AI tools; and Ryan Griffin, an artist at Bit Reactor and president of the Baltimore IGDA. This panel will give you a behind-the-scenes look at different career paths in gaming, from development and art to AI and community impact. Don’t miss this chance to explore where your passion for games could take you.

Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP.

Marc Almanzor is the Owner and Founder of Make Gaming About Fundraising LLC, whose focus is to help nonprofits engage video game communities. With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, Marc previously held roles at Doctors Without Borders,  Amnesty International, and Foundation Center/Candid. Marc is also an active Twitch streamer, where he has worked with gaming communities on peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns for multiple organizations. He currently partners with clients to plan strategies for recruiting and stewarding content creators, charity stream event production, and putting the fun in fundraising.
Deeply committed to supporting local organizations, Marc is a member of the New Jersey Extra Life Guild Advisory Committee, where he has been recognized with five Extra Life fundraising medals for supporting Children’s Specialized Hospital NJ. In addition to his work in peer-to-peer fundraising, Marc is also an active member of the Esports Trade Association (ESTA) and previously served as the co-chair of the ESTA Fundraising Committee, where he has forged partnerships with nonprofits and the esports industry.

Tronster Hartley is a seasoned game developer with experience building video games for PCs, mobile devices, Facebook, and major gaming consoles.  For the past 17 years, he has been a Senior Software Developer and Team Lead at Firaxis Games in Sparks, MD. He has led UX and UI teams for acclaimed franchises such as Civilization and XCOM.
In his spare time, Tronster actively promotes the video game industry, especially around Baltimore.  He has served as an adjunct professor at UMBC and UBalt.  He has also served as a chair and founding member for the Baltimore chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).  To promote the indie video game scene, he created the MAGFest Indie Videogame Showcase (MIVS) which features 70 indie developers, and their games, annually at the MAGFest “Super” convention in Washington, DC.
And although he recently earned his MBA from Johns Hopkins, Tronster’s proudest achievement is having a milkshake named after him at the local Charmery ice-cream shops.

Tony Li is a generalist game programmer with specialization in behavioral AI. He runs Pixel Crushers, a game development tools company that focuses on narrative AI tools such as the Dialogue System for Unity and Quest Machine. Tony has been involved in the game industry, and indie games in particular, for 30 years. He’s also one of the organizers of the Baltimore Indie Game Developers group.

Ryan Griffin is an Artist at Bit Reactor working on Star Wars Zero Company. He is also the president of the Baltimore IGDA (International Game Developers Association) chapter. He previously taught 3d and animation for game development as an adjunct professor at local universities. He volunteers to give presentations about game development and 3d art to local High School, Community College, and 4 year Universities. Ryan also has a personal paid mentorship program for students looking to become better at 3d video game art.

RSVP for the Kalamuna Discussion

Thursday, October 23, 12-1pm
ITE 459

Join Chad Capellman, Director of Business Development at Kalamuna, for an engaging session on careers at mission-driven tech companies. Kalamuna partners with socially impactful organizations to tackle pressing challenges, blending digital expertise with purpose-driven work. Learn how technology, strategy, and design can come together to create meaningful solutions, and hear advice for students who want to leverage their skills to make a positive impact in the world. This session is perfect for students passionate about using technology to drive social good. Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP.

RSVP for the Sharing the Stack Discussion

Wednesday, October 29, 12-1pm
ITE 459

Join us for a special discussion with Scott Stroz, MySQL Developer Advocate at Oracle, who brings over 20 years of experience as a developer across multiple languages. Throughout his career, MySQL has been the one constant in his toolkit, and he’s passionate about sharing his knowledge to help the next generation of technologists learn from his journey. This is a great opportunity for UMBC Information Systems students to gain insights from an industry expert and deepen their understanding of one of the most widely used database systems in the world. Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP.

RSVP for the Precise Solutions Discussion

Wednesday, November 5, 12-1pm
ITE 459

For over a decade, Precise Solutions has delivered performance excellence, agility, and innovation to advance public sector missions. As a trusted advisor to government technology leaders, the company drives modernization, safeguards systems, and enables more effective mission delivery through strategic consulting, digital transformation, cloud implementation, and data analytics. Discover career paths in public sector technology and get insider tips on how to launch your career right out of college. Precise Solutions was founded by Dr. Zhensen Huang, M.S. ’00, Ph.D. ’04, information systems. Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP.

Careers in Non-Profit IT: Insights from The Trevor Project – Wednesday, Sept 10
Join IT professionals Paul Pham, Will Young, Allie Kintner, and Ben Busath from The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Learn about career opportunities in the nonprofit sector, the role of technology in supporting life-saving services, and how IT skills can make a difference.
Recording of the event will be posted soon

Women in Tech: Career Journeys & Insights
In collaboration with UMBC’s Center for Women in Technology (CWIT), join Bri Bellavati (COO, SmartLogic), Anna Mykhailova (Director of Technology, Kalamuna), and Rachel Sax (Consultant, W4Sight) for a candid discussion on building successful careers in technology. This panel will cover career journeys, job-hunting strategies, and perspectives on today’s tech industry. The session will begin with guided questions and conclude with an open Q&A.
Recording of the event will be posted soon

Soft Skills: Knowing Your Audience
Join Rahul K. Razdan ’05, information systems (Principal IT Architect, Qualcomm), Patricia Grant (Chief Information Officer, Tenable), Shaneen Trotman (Director of People and Culture, Precise Software Solutions, Inc.), and Mohammed Sohail Chaudhry (Chief Information Officer, Precise Software Solutions, Inc.)for a conversation on the importance of soft skills in the workplace. Soft skills are personal traits and abilities not typically taught in the classroom and are essential for navigating job interviews, building professional relationships, and succeeding as a full-time employee. This session is designed for undergraduate and graduate students entering today’s competitive job market, offering practical advice on knowing your audience and standing out as a strong candidate.
Recording of the event will be posted soon