Falmouth Academic awarded MBE in King’s Birthday Honours
15 June 2024
Tanya Krzywinska, Professor of Digital Games and founding Director of our Games Academy, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her contributions to Higher Education and the Video Games Industry.
In addition to her role at Falmouth, Tanya is the Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Games and Culture. Her distinguished career includes serving as President of the Digital Games Research Association (2009-2011) and collaborating with leading figures in the global games industry.
As one of the first Professors of Video Games in the UK, Tanya has been instrumental in establishing games as an academic discipline. She has authored several books and numerous academic articles on digital games. She has also managed significant funded research projects in areas such as blended realities and games for heritage, recently exploring digital games for young people's well-being and drafting a White Paper on peace-gaming. Her work has helped shape the perception of video games in society and across various industry sectors, highlighting their far-reaching impact beyond entertainment.
On receiving the award, Tanya said, “I was completely blown away to receive the letter of recommendation for the MBE. It’s left me feeling incredibly grateful for the many opportunities that have led me into a career in HE and that have arisen from working in the Arts and Humanities and with the games industry.
“Looking back over 30-or-so-years in HE, I would never have guessed at the start of my career that games would become such a prominent economic force in the creative industries. Back in the 80s, I did however have a hunch that games were the new artistic frontier.
"[I] become an evangelist of games within academia, with the aim of bringing together artists and programmers to learn the craft of making games and to research their potential. I guess the writing is on the wall… follow your passion.”
- Professor Tanya Krzywinska
Professor Emma Hunt, Vice Chancellor of Falmouth University, said, “Tanya’s impact on Falmouth University can’t be understated. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Games Academy, which she established. It has grown to become the university’s largest academic department and is central to our mission of being at the nexus of creativity and technology, underpinning significant research and knowledge exchange.
“With her colleagues, Tanya developed the distinctive pedagogical approach of the Games Academy to game design, significantly influencing game education and shaping industry thinking. A rigorous scholar and brilliant leader, she has created a legacy at Falmouth and in games education that will have a lasting impact.”
Tanya developed the distinctive pedagogical approach of the Games Academy to game design, significantly influencing game education and shaping industry thinking.
- Professor Emma Hunt, Vice Chancellor
Associate Professor Doug Brown, Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Screen and Performance, added, “I am honoured to have worked closely with Tanya for much of my career and thrilled that she has received this recognition. A true trailblazer, she predicted the growing influence of participatory media and built a community that propelled its growth and importance.
A true trailblazer, she predicted the growing influence of participatory media and built a community that propelled its growth and importance.
- Associate Professor Doug Brown, Dean
“As a brilliant academic and generous colleague, she inspires many in the sector. As a superb teacher, she has supported countless students and early career academics, helping them shape their futures.
“Through the development of innovative academic courses that feed the talent pipeline into the UK games industry—one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sectors of the economy—she has championed the sector’s importance as a creative field and an academic area worthy of real study. Also, her groundbreaking research and fearless experimentation have pushed the boundaries of what games can achieve, elevating their status as a legitimate art form and demonstrating the transformative value of games’ potential in health, heritage and culture.”
Professor Tanya Krzywinska
Tanya's research interests are largely within the domains of digital games, transmediality and immersion, mixed and augmented reality in terms of content and experience. She has be working with museums and heritage providers, co-designing apps and experiences focused on interpreting their collections in new ways. Find out more about Tanya's career, publications and research projects.
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