24 Research Reflection by Will Loxley

Faculty Mentors: Fernando Rodríguez and Ashley Guajardo (Entertainment Arts Engineering, University of Utah)

When I first approached my mentors Dr. Guajardo and Dr. Rodríguez with the idea to investigate ableism in games recruitment, I was pleasantly surprised to find they were as eager to begin as I was. Before my experience with this project, I was not familiar with the practical processes involved in research. Now, thanks to my mentors and nine months of research, I am confident in my abilities to identify necessary methodologies and utilize them to execute on a point of interest. And after presenting my findings at the 2023 Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research, I am prepared to adequately communicate data and conclusions to a broad audience. As a prospective game developer and disability advocate, my overarching career goal is to enable marginalized creatives in a dynamic and ever-changing industry. I believe the games we make are decisively better when made with a wider pool of perspectives, and that broadening the definition of the “average game developer” will be vital for the long-term success of the games industry. I want to be engaged in work that not only carves out space for disabled developers in the industry, but also contributes to smoothing out the transition from student to professional. This research has given me the opportunity to start that pursuit, and I’m grateful that this is only the beginning.