Game on: ASU’s GAME School welcomes creative visionary Stephanie Barish to lead new era of design education

Stephanie Barish, a nationally recognized leader in game production and digital media innovation, has joined the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University as professor of practice in The GAME School. Barish brings a deep background in creative leadership, educational technology and independent games — and a clear vision for what’s next.

At ASU, Barish is leading the launch of a new kind of game design program — one built on inclusion, experimentation and real-world impact.

“ASU has always stood out to me as a place where innovation is real,” Barish said. “President Crow is a visionary, and this university walks the talk when it comes to access and purpose. I’ve worked with many institutions, but ASU is on another level when it comes to rethinking what education can be.”

Earlier this year, the School of Arts, Media and Engineering launched a new BS in game design program, paving the way for a new era for the school, which was renamed The GAME School. A leading transdisciplinary school for games, arts, media and engineering, the school offers a customizable curriculum that prepares students with tangible skills in new media, AI, games, wearable tech and more. The school has programs based on the Tempe campus and at the ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center in Mesa, Arizona, with an expansion in Los Angeles soon to follow. Barish, who will be based in LA, is working closely with faculty and leadership to build both the Arizona and California locations into creative hubs where students can design the future of interactive media.

“We are very excited to welcome Stephanie Barish as our first faculty appointment in LA,” said Pavan Turaga, founding director of The GAME School. “Stephanie’s work supporting indie games and studios via IndieCade will be a valuable asset for ASU and initiate a differentiated approach over existing Games degree programs in the area.”

Barish grew up surrounded by science, creativity and international collaboration. Her father, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, was deeply involved in research that brought together thinkers from around the world.

“My whole life, I was exposed to people who were creative problem-solvers who were trying to figure out how the world works,” she said. “That shaped the way I see things, and it gave me so much respect for people who are driven by passion and curiosity.”

She credits her father’s example with helping her understand the value of focus, collaboration and hard work. “Winning a Nobel Prize isn’t like winning the lottery. It takes years of dedication,” she said. “But it’s also fueled by genuine wonder — wanting to figure something out. That spirit of exploration is what drives me, too.”

Barish also gained early fluency in technology at home.

“We had computers around the house, and I was encouraged to learn coding and digital tools,” she said. “It helped me become the kind of creative who can speak both the language of ideas and the language of tech.”

That foundation helped her land early roles at the intersection of storytelling, design and engineering, positions where she became known for bridging disciplines and leading experimental teams.

Barish’s entry into interactive media began during her graduate studies in animation, just as computers were entering the creative process. The shift was immediate — and defining.

Her first major professional opportunity came when she was recruited by filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s team to work on the Visual History Archive, which documented Holocaust survivor testimonies. Barish helped create a series of interactive documentaries designed to promote tolerance, empathy and education in classrooms and museums across the country.

“That project opened my eyes to the power of games and interactivity,” she said. “It showed me that this medium can be used for storytelling, teaching, healing — things that really matter.”

Since then, Barish has held leadership roles in media literacy, educational design and game development. She’s also contributed to foundational technical work, including motion capture design for early “Mortal Kombat” titles.

“I’ve always worked at the intersection of technology, art and ideas,” she said. “That’s where the most exciting innovation happens.”

In the early 2000s, Barish co-founded IndieCade, a festival and international platform that helped put independent game creators on the map.

At the time, most of the attention in the gaming world was on big-budget, studio-driven titles. Barish and her team wanted to change that.

“There was no Sundance for games, so we built it,” she said. “We knew there was brilliant, personal, meaningful work happening — people just weren’t seeing it yet.”

Today, IndieCade remains a key showcase for the most innovative work in interactive media. It also provides community, mentorship and resources for game creators at all stages of their careers.

Barish sees a direct line between that work and what she’s building at ASU.

“I’m excited to help students explore not just how to make games, but how to use them to change the world.”

The new game program at ASU is designed to reflect the full breadth of what games can be — across entertainment, education, health care, storytelling, civic engagement and more. It will also reflect the diversity of the communities it serves.

For Barish, that means building curriculum and culture that are collaborative, interdisciplinary and welcoming to all creators — especially those historically left out of the industry.

“We want to support students who are passionate, curious and unafraid to experiment,” she said. “And we want to help them connect with the broader world of game design, from climate solutions to applied health care games to social impact projects.”

One example is a student internship program that focuses on designing mini-games to raise awareness about natural disasters and climate resilience. Another example includes game-based tools that help children remain calm during MRI scans.

“These aren’t just side projects,” Barish said. “They’re real, powerful applications of game design that make people’s lives better.”

Barish is currently focused on launching the Los Angeles expansion of The GAME School. She said the new location will complement the Tempe campus with a strong industry-facing presence in the heart of one of the world’s creative capitals.

Each location will offer its own strengths and identity. Both will share a common foundation that sees games as tools for communication, connection and transformation.

And both will give students the opportunity to work across disciplines, build inclusive communities and redefine what game design can look like in the 21st century.

“This is a chance to build something new from the ground up,” Barish said. “Not just a game program — but a platform for the next generation of changemakers.”