Education

• Ph.D. (expected 2028), Texts and Technology (Digital Humanities), University of Central Florida.
• M.A., Humanities (Cultural Studies and Arts and Society), Marshall University, 2024. Comprehensive exam passed with distinction. Final project: “Critical Game Design in Tabletop Roleplaying Games: A First-Person Exploration of Scholarly-Informed Development.”
• B.S., Communication Disorders, Cum Laude, Marshall University, 2017.

Publications

Peer Reviewed Conference Extended Abstracts

• Whittington, J. M. L. “Observant Play and Modding: The Postcolonial, Environmentalist Playthrough of Minecraft.” Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2024 Conference: Playgrounds (2024). https://dl.digra.org/index.php/dl/article/view/2249.

Presentations

Conference Paper Presentations

• Whittington, J. M. L. “‘I Need to Reach My Friend!’: Digital Folklore in an Online Gaming Community.” Paper presented at Marshall University College of Liberal Arts Research and Creativity Conference, Huntington, WV, April 10–11, 2024. https://mds.marshall.edu/colaconf/2024/day2/9/.
• Whittington, J. M. L. “Sociopolitical Intrusion and Integration in the Theme Park Experience.” Paper presented at Popular Culture Association, Chicago, IL, March 27–30, 2024.
• Whittington, Justin. “The Relationship between Video Games and US Foreign Policy.” Paper presented at Marshall University College of Liberal Arts Research and Creativity Conference, Huntington, WV, April 12–13, 2023. https://mds.marshall.edu/colaconf/2023/day2/13/.

Conference Roundtables

• Pleska, Cat, Luke Eric Lassiter, Michael Tierney, Trish Hatfield, Chris Green, Anna Osborne, and Justin Whittington. “Beloved Agents of Change in Appalachia.” Roundtable convened at Appalachian Studies Conference — Beloved Community: Pride in Identity, Culture, and Geography, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, March 7–9, 2024.

Campus Talks

• “The Relationship between Video Games and US Foreign Policy.” Presentation for two sections of CMM 103: Fundamentals of Speech Communication taught by Cheyenne Thomas, Marshall University, Spring 2023.

Convention Panels

• Whittington, Justin. “Wandering in the Expanse: Meaning-Making in Minecraft.” Presentation at PopCon Louisville, Louisville, KY, June 16–18, 2023.
• Whittington, Justin. “The Relationship between Video Games and US Foreign Policy.” Presentation at HerdCon, Huntington, WV, March 24–25, 2023.

Experience

Academic Appointments

• Graduate Teaching Assistant – Grader, Games and Interactive Media Program, University of Central Florida, August 2024 – present.
• Graduate Research Associate, Center for Humanities and Digital Research (CHDR), University of Central Florida, August 2024 – present.
• Research Assistant, Graduate Humanities Program and John Deaver Drinko Academy, Marshall University, January 2024 – present.
• Programmer, H.E.L.P. (Higher Education for Learning Problems) Program, Marshall University, August 2023 – April 2024.
• Graduate Assistant Tutor, H.E.L.P. (Higher Education for Learning Problems) Program, Marshall University, July 2023 – April 2024.
• Teaching Assistant, Graduate Humanities Program, Marshall University, August 2023 – December 2023.
• Administrative Graduate Assistant, H.E.L.P. (Higher Education for Learning Problems) Program, Marshall University, August 2022 – August 2023.
• Research Assistant, Department of Communication Disorders, Marshall University, August 2016 – May 2017.

Relevant Professional

• Customer Success Management Senior Analyst, Accenture, October 2017 – December 2022. Originally N3, acquired by Accenture September 2020, cutover April 2022. Consulted on campaigns for Microsoft (Azure IoT and Microsoft for Startups), Akamai Technologies, Kount, and RapidScale.

Awards

• Graduate Dean’s Fellowship, University of Central Florida, 2024–2025.
• William J. Maier Writing Award in Multimedia (third place), Maier Foundation and Marshall University Department of English, 2024.
• Graduate Student Professional Development Grant, Marshall University Graduate Humanities Program, 2024.

Courses Taught

University of Central Florida (as Graduate Teaching Assistant – Grader for Digital Media)

• DIG 3043: Evolution of Video Games (grading only)

Marshall University (as Teaching Assistant for Graduate Humanities Program)

• HUMN 650: Expository Writing for Research

Professional Memberships

• Digital Games Research Association, 2024 – present.
• Disney, Culture, and Society Research Network, 2024 – present.
• Appalachian Studies Association, 2024 – present.
• Popular Culture Association, 2023 – present.

Specialized Skills

• Game design experience: Mostly in tabletop roleplaying games (homebrew, module and campaign design, and full campaign settings and systems), but also in computer game prototyping, writing and mechanical design, and mod development
• Game engine familiarity: Unreal Engine 4 and 5, GameMaker: Studio 1.4
• Microsoft Office/365 and Google Workspace power user, particularly in advanced capabilities of Excel/Google Sheets
• Programming/scripting languages: C#, Lua, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Google Apps Script
• Homelab familiarity: Setup and management of virtual machines/networks, blade/rack servers, game servers, website software, high-power/gaming PCs, etc.
• Speech transcription across various methodologies: International Phonetic Alphabet (standard and clinical), discourse/conversation analysis, ethnographic/interview

Relevant Service

• Editor/Linguist, Wikimedia Foundation, January 2008 – present.
• Organizing Committee Member, HerdCon, September 2023 – March 2023.
• Breton, Esperanto, and Quenya Translator for Minecraft versions 1.12 and 1.13, Crowdin, April 2018 – July 2018.
• Field Technician, Marshall University Archaeological Field School, June 2015 – July 2015.
• French Translator, Twitter, October 2011 – June 2012.