Esports: Changing the Game in Higher Ed

Higher Ed ReWired

About This Episode:

During the worldwide pandemic, esports programs stepped in to fill the void that social distancing created. Students in these programs had the unique opportunity to gather in virtual worlds and stay connected. The sense of belonging the programs fostered did not go unnoticed and universities began to view esports as a remedy for student recruitment and retention.

In this episode, we will speak with the director of the National Association of Collegiate Esports, the EA Sports Association president at CSUDH, and two esports directors in the CSU system about how they’re transforming the program and how this new way of competing is providing students a reason to pursue higher education.

Featured on This Episode:

• Michael Brooks is the Executive Director of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). NACE is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of member institutions and is the largest association of varsity esports programs in North America. NACE’s members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space.
• Ruben Caputo is the EA Sports academic advisor and general manager at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is also the Co-Chair of the CSU Esports Collective, responsible for the effective functioning of the board in its role of governing the CSU Esports Collective.
• Dina Ibrahim is a Professor in the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts department at San Francisco State University, where she teaches Radio and Television News Production courses. She has reported for the BBC World Service Radio in London, CNN in Atlanta and Cairo, NPR in Austin, Texas, UPI in Cairo, and Arab News newspaper in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Her research interests are in the area of American television news representation of Arabs and Muslims. Her B.A. and M.A. are from the American University in Cairo and her Ph.D. is from the University of Texas at Austin.
• Alexandra Warren Carrasco is a senior at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and serves as the Esports Association president.

Resources for This Episode:

• National Association of Collegiate Esports
• CSUDH Esports
• San Francisco State University
• California State University, Dominguez Hills