Game Design MFA Alumni

Andrew's natural love and passion for games have made Interface design and Game design a fulfilling career for him. Currently, the Studio Director at XzoltaR Studios, Andrew holds a MFA degree in Game Design and brings valuable experience to his current role. A passionate gamer, Andrew began gaming at a tender age and was fascinated by the brilliance behind its makings. He brings over 20 years experience as a Graphic, Web, Interface (UI/UX), and 3D designer. Andrew's designs have earned him a stellar career highlight and expertise, which he now brings to his current position.
Andrew was the founder of 5150 Snowboards, which is currently owned by K2 Sports, LLC. Formerly, he worked as a Lead Web Designer for Oakley Inc. In 2010, he served as US Army 68W Combat Medic, with Combat Medic Badge and service in Afghanistan. He was featured in 1989 in Nintendo Power Magazine for Highest Score in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Also, he worked on a released Half-Life 2 Mod, and a Thesis Demo VR rhythm game called Super Nova. Andrew's passion for gaming and arts makes his work incredibly rewarding. His keen sense of conceptualization and design makes every game design engaging and illustrative.
As a game designer, Andrew is exceptionally skilled and highly responsive to industry trends. He believes in a creative work approach and relies on his undying passion for games and arts to deliver the best in every project. Andrew is an ethical professional with a remarkable commitment to excellence.

 
André Thomas' passion for game-based learning resonates inside and outside of the classroom. A graduate of LCAD MFA in Game Design, he founded and serves as the director of the LIVE Lab in the Department of Visualization at Texas A&M University, where he also teaches game design, game development and interactive graphics techniques. In 2014, he founded Triseum, where he serves as CEO and leads the creation of its award winning academic video games. He is an EdTech
 
Leadership award winner, National Academy of Sciences board member, National Arts Education Association lead instructor, and Chillennium Game Jam chair. André also has been invited to speak at numerous education and technology events both in the U.S. and abroad, including SXSW, TEDx, ASU-GSV, BETT, Chinese Academy of Fine Arts, Austrian Ministry of Education and European Schoolnet. His game-based learning insights and ideas are featured in the Huffington Post, Austin Business Journal, eCampus News and Learning Solutions Magazine, to name a few.
 
With more than 20 years in CGI production, André has worked around the world on legendary video games, live action feature films and memorable commercials. Previously he was Head of Graphics for EA Sports Football games (including NCAA, Head Coach, NFL Tour and Madden, the longest running and most successful sports franchise in games industry). He also created graphics for such notable films as Men in Black, Con Air, Independence Day, Valiant, Ant Bully and Tomorrow Never Dies.