Ben Bays named director of Karch Gaming Institute

Ben Bays, associate professor of instruction in Moody College of Communication’s Department of Radio-Television-Film (RTF), has been named the inaugural director of the Karch Gaming Institute. Under Bays’ leadership, the Institute is poised to help students prepare for careers in the rapidly growing video game industry.

“I can’t think of a better person to lead the Institute than Ben Bays,” said Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive and creator of the Institute. “He has the perfect combination of practical experience and academic knowledge to bring a new generation of leaders into the game industry.”

The Karch Gaming Institute was established in early 2025, aided by a $5 million gift from Karch on behalf of his family. The Institute aims to teach students about all aspects of the digital gaming industry from concept to distribution to the convergence of gaming with film, broadcast and other media. 

“Ben not only brings a wealth of gaming industry experience to this role, but he is also a beloved and respected professor among our students,” said Anita Vangelisti, interim dean at Moody College. “As director of the Karch Gaming Institute, he will be able to  offer innovative courses, experiences and deep knowledge to students that will most certainly prepare them to succeed and become leaders in this exciting industry.”

Bays began teaching industry-specific courses including “Digital Games: Concept to Console” and “Digital Game Usability Lab” during the Fall 2025 semester. He also led the Longhorn Esports Team during an international academic esports tournament in Sydney, Australia in January. 

"UT has all the components to produce a bold new generation of leaders and visionaries in digital gaming: world-class expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and above all the unbridled passion of students,” Bays said. “I am honored to serve as the inaugural director of the Karch Gaming Institute, and I'm committed to the vision of connecting education directly with industry, bringing new courses to life and guiding students towards their place at the vanguard of gaming and esports."

Bays has spent more than a decade working in the gaming industry and has produced animation, motion graphics, concept art and computer-generated models for a variety of media including television, feature films and video games. His specialty is creating virtual worlds, from concept to modeling, surfacing, lighting, simulations and animations. 

He has channeled his industry experience into his passion for teaching. Bays has taught thousands of UT students both in-person and through experiential online courses. He has been an RTF faculty member since 2008, is also an adjunct faculty member in the UT School of Theater and Dance, and teaches courses in UT’s Bridging Disciplines program and at Texas State University.

With the support of the Karch Gaming Institute, Moody College is developing curricula with the goal of creating a minor to focus on the business and production of digital games. Open to all undergraduate UT students, the Institute will offer courses like “Video Game Culture and Criticism,” “Introduction to Visual Effects and Motion Graphics” and “Writing for Interactive Games and Media,” among others. 

“We pride ourselves upon giving students both foundational and hands-on learning experiences,” Vangelisti said. “Moody College is always looking for ways to offer the most industry-relevant curriculum that prepares students for their future careers and our gaming courses will be no exception.”

Students interested in learning more about the Karch Gaming Institute can find additional information on Moody College’s website.