Paul Toprac

Dr. Paul Toprac is a Professor of Instruction and the head of the Game Development and Design Program, and Principal Investigator (PI) of the SAGA Lab in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin. As a professor, Toprac has produced more than 200 student games and apps. As a PI, Toprac has developed more than a dozen games, half a dozen mobile apps, and several interactive software tools, including dashboards, visualization tools, and AR/VR experiences for research and public consumption. Toprac's research interests are in game design and development, particularly for learning, motivation, and behavioral change. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters on how to use digital games to promote motivation, affect emotions, and the sensation of control while playing. Toprac has more than the twenty years of experience in the software industry, in roles ranging from CEO to product manager to consultant.