About Us

Press

VGA Board of Directors

Working Board

• Brice Puls President of the Board

• Jamie Sanchez Secretary

• Jen Rhodes

• Mick Reed

• Chaz Evans

• Tiffany Funk

• Eleanor Schichtel

• Rob Lach

• Peter McDonald

• Derrick Fields

• Chris Totten

• Jonathan Kinkley at-large

Advisory Board

• Teresa Silva

• Eric Mittereder

• R.J. Inawat

• Ross Hersemann

• Meredith Mays Espino

• Sabrina Raaf

• Kris Mendez

• Jon Cates

• Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff

VGA Staff

Bianca Crockett (Design Manager) is a Northwestern student studying cognitive science and media art & game design. Her work is interested in the mind in relation to consuming different media formats. She has a passion for photography.

Chaz Evans (Senior Curator and Co-Founder) is an artist, educator, art historian, and curator working at Northwestern University. He has taught courses on creative programming, web art, moving image art, and games. He holds an MA in art history and an MFA in New Media Art from University of Illinois at Chicago. Email

Tiffany Funk (Director of Publications and Editor-in-Chief, VGA Reader) (PhD) is an artist, critical theorist, and researcher specializing in emerging media, computer art, video games, and performance art practices. She researches and develops work exploring both current and historical digital technological art practices, alternately taking the form of critical and conceptual writing, drawing, software, video, and installation. She has contributed chapters to anthologies concerning activist, intermedia artworks pushing the boundaries of digital art practices, and published interviews and essays in academic journals Antennae and Leonardo Music Journal. Funk is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Video Game Art Reader, a peer-reviewed journal for video game audiences and video game practitioners interested in the history, theory, and criticism of video games, explored through the lens of art history and visual culture. She is Co-founding Lecturer and Academic Advisor of IDEAS (Interdisciplinary Education in the Arts)—an intermedia, theory, and practice-based Bachelor of Arts degree program at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Email

Stef Luthin (Communications Manager) is currently a production coordinator for online children’s edutainment company, Supernow. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Radio/Television/Film, Psychology, and Marketing. Her passions include watching animated movies, solving crossword puzzles, and playing old Nintendo GameCube games.

Brice Puls (Director of Operations) is an interactive artist, game developer, and exhibit designer based in Chicago. They also are the logistics director for Bit Bash Chicago, an annual non-profit interactive arts festival seeking to expose unique and culturally important games to new audiences. Additionally, they are an independent game designer, developing on work for various educational institutions, studios, and games such as Young Horses, Activision, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, TumbleSeed, Sausage Sports Club, Manifold Garden, and Killer Queen Black. Email

Michael Reed (Treasurer of the Board of Directors) Michael is a lawyer and writer living in Chicago. He has reviewed case materials, participated in hearings, and drafted orders for the U.S. Merit System Protection Board and the Circuit Court of Cook County.  Before attending law school he handled community outreach and created a series of legal help guides for the State Bar of Montana. He holds a BA in Philosophy from St. Norbert College and a J.D. from John Marshall Law School, where he was President of the Video Game Law Society and Editor of the newspaper. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Law in International Intellectual Property at Chicago-Kent. Email

Jen Rhodes (Director of Development) is a membership, fundraising and events professional, based in Chicago. She works as Membership & External Relations Director for the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, overseeing their membership program, conferences and events, and marketing and communications. Jen enjoys working with nonprofits, helping them connect with other individuals, organizations, or opportunities to advance their missions. Email

Eleanor Schichtel (Director of Exhibitions) is a new media artist, graphic designer, and IT guy in Chicago, IL. Her research deals with the uses of emerging digital technology to depict and manipulate historical time periods. Her practice utilizes video game engines to simulate, hack, and satirize historical aesthetics. She enjoys throwing parties. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago (MFA 2023) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2016). Email