Two people sit at a computer with headsets on playing esports.

2026 Video Game and Esports Symposium

Presented by the Karch Gaming Institute

The 2026 Moody College Video Game and Esports Symposium will explore games, creative practice and the industries and communities around them. Join the Karch Gaming Institute for conversations about the connections between games, storytelling, film, animation and esports.

Program Schedule

Thursday, October 22

Location: CMB Studio 6B

2 - 2:15 p.m. | Introductory Remarks with Ben Bays
Ben Bays is the inaugural director of the Karch Gaming Institute and a key figure in the new Digital Game Industries minor. Ben will kick off the symposium with some welcoming words and a brief on the state of gaming at UT.
 
2:15 - 2:30 p.m. | TXI and Gaming with Erin Reilly, MFA | School of Advertising
The Texas Immersive Institute empowers storytellers to design participatory experiences that harness emerging technologies and impact the world. Gaming is just one of its many dimensions. Erin Reilly, founder and director, talks about immersion, gaming and story.
 
2:30 - 2:45 p.m. | Jump with Dr. Byron Fong, Ph.D. | RTF Media Studies
Byron Fong is a game studies scholar and professor in the Department of Radio-Television-Film.  In this rapid-fire presentation, he connects Japanese scrollwork, 2D side-scrollers, and the ubiquitous “jump” mechanic.
 
2:45 - 3 p.m. | History through Video Games with Dr. Samuel Horewood, Ph.D. | College of Liberal Arts
Sam Horewood is a history professor in the College of Liberal Arts who teaches how history is “built, bent, and sometimes broken” in video games.
 
3 - 3:15 p.m. | Esports at UT with Austin Espinoza
Austin Espinoza is a central figure in the collegiate esports scene at the University of Texas at Austin. He will brief us on the state of esports at UT and how it connects to the student experience.
 
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. | Break for food and refreshments
 
3:45 - 4 p.m. | Pathways through Game Development at UT with Dr. Paul Toprac, Ph.D.
Paul Toprac is a professor in the Department of Computer Science, creator of the longstanding game capstone courses (available to all majors), and a key figure in the Gem Design and Development program here at UT.
 
4 - 5  p.m. | Panel: Academic Esports and Professionalizing Play with Tobias Scholz, Ph.D., Rune Andersen and Tony Bergholtz
Is there value in play itself? Esports has been described as the training ground for the virtualized workforce of tomorrow. Join us as we talk with leading scholars in academic esports about how we can connect play to real-world professional skills.
 
5 - 6 p.m. | Keynote Conversation with Fred White
The games industry is undergoing profound change, creating both uncertainty and opportunity for the next generation of professionals. To succeed in the industry of 2030, students will need more than technical or creative expertise. They'll need to understand how games connect with audiences, how commercial and organizational decisions shape their success, and how the industry's many disciplines work together. Fred White joins us to explore some of the challenges we're facing today, where opportunities are emerging, and what students can do now to prepare themselves for careers in games over the next several years.
 
6 - 8 p.m. | Networking and Student Spotlight

Speaker Bios

Photo of Erin Reilly

Erin Reilly, MFA

Dr. Erin Reilly is a creator, educator and strategist with 20 years of experience inventing new approaches, products, services, and experiences in storytelling, engagement and learning through immersive technology. Erin is the Founding Director of Texas Immersive Institute, the interactive and immersive media hub at the University of Texas at Austin focused on research, projects, and learning about the future of interactive and immersive media. In her role, she guides faculty and students in imagining where innovation meets entrepreneurship and builds university-wide initiatives, fostering relationships with other academic institutions and industry partners.

Headshot of Byron Fong

Byron Fong, Ph.D.

Dr. Byron Fong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radio-Television-Film. His research examines the global history of computer technologies and their impact on cultures of labor and media. His current book project, Kinetic Control: Interactive Movement in Video Game Aesthetics, historicizes video game aesthetics from 1985 to 1994 through the lens of technology, animation, and industry. He also has experience in museum exhibition design and assessing archival collections.

Headshot of Samuel Horewood

Samuel Horewood, Ph.D.

Dr. Samuel (Sam) E. P. Horewood is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin. He is an Australian-born historian specializing in the early modern British world, digital public history, and early America. Dr. Horewood earned his Bachelor of Arts (2014) and Master of Arts (2018) in History from Monash University in Australia. He then relocated to the United States, earning his M.A. (2022) and Ph.D. in History (2025) from Duke University. His doctoral research culminated in his dissertation, Rebel Empire: Subjecthood and Rebellion in Britain's Early Empire (2025). The work analyzes late 17th-century colonial uprisings (spanning Virginia, Carolina, Maryland, St. Helena, and Bombay) to evaluate how early imperial subjects negotiated their political identities and rights. In August 2025, he joined the faculty at UT Austin. Alongside his teaching responsibilities, he serves as the Managing Editor of Not Even Past, a prominent digital public history magazine

Headshot of Austin Espinoza

Austin Espinoza

Widely recognized as “UT Austin's Esports Guy” he oversees the operations of the official video game spaces under the university unions including the alienware longhorn esports arena and lounge. Before joining the university staff, Espinoza served as president of Longhorn Gaming, one of the largest and oldest student-led collegiate esports organizations in the country.

Headshot of Paul Toprac

Paul Toprac, Ph.D.

Paul Toprac, Professor of Instruction and Head, Game Development and Design Program, and Principal Investigator of the Simulation and Game Applications (SAGA) Lab. Toprac's research interests are game design and development, particularly for learning, motivation, and behavioral change. Toprac holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemical Engineering, a Master’s of Business Administration, and a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from The University of Texas at Austin.

Headshot of Tobias Scholz

Tobias Scholz, Ph.D.

Dr. Tobias Scholz is a prominent academic and pioneer in esports research, currently serving as an Associate Professor for Academic Esports and Company Esports at the University of Agder (UiA) in Grimstad, Norway. Often referred to as the "godfather of esports research," he has over 25 years of experience bridging competitive gaming, human resource management, and organizational behavior.

Headshot of Rune Andersen

Rune Andersen

Rune Andersen is an Associate Professor at the University of Agder (UiA) in Norway, where he serves as the Program Leader for Europe's first Bachelor's degree in Academic Esports. He is also the center leader of FLARE (Future Lab for Research in Academic Esports), a dedicated university research hub connecting technology, gaming, pedagogy, and transferable skill development.

Headshot of Tony Bergholtz

Tony Bergholtz

Tony Bergholtz is an engineer and researcher affiliated with the University of Agder (UiA) in Norway, where he plays a central role in its academic esports initiatives. Bergholtz is an active participant in FLARE (Future Lab for Academic Research in Esports), a specialized research group at UiA that examines academic esports, gaming, and game didactics. The lab bridges the gap between research, education, industry, and grassroots gaming communities. Alongside FLARE leadership figures like Tobias Scholz and Rune Andersen, Bergholtz handles the logistical and broadcast operations for high-profile regional academic events, including the Academic Esports Summit (AES 2026). He is frequently recognized for managing student volunteers, technical infrastructure, and live event streams to ensure smooth execution.

Headshot of Fred White

Fred White

Fred White is a veteran executive who specializes in launching and growing global game franchises. He is the founder of GameFrameworks and serves as an industry advisor and speaker. He has overseen more than 20 successful game launches. His expertise spans global marketing, go-to-market strategy, brand development, and live-service growth for AAA and indie titles across PC, console, mobile, and VR. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with major platform holders and publishers, including SEGA, Microsoft Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, and Valve.