As the programme was housed under the HIT Lab NZ, a subsidiary of UC鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering, Phelps jumped at the suggestion he undertake an Engineering PhD as this allowed him to not only earn New 麻豆传媒团队academic credentials, but also reinforce the cross-disciplinary complexities within Game Design.
鈥淚鈥檝e had appointments in arts, in computing, communication, [but] nothing has ever quite felt like 鈥榟ome鈥 because my work straddles the divide from Engineering to Arts,鈥 Phelps says.
Given the sheer number of responsibilities sitting on his shoulders, it鈥檚 easy to question how and where Phelps found the time to complete a doctorate but for many, the answer will come as little surprise.
鈥淚 had only been in New 麻豆传媒团队for around two months before the Covid-19 lockdowns. I didn鈥檛 know very many people and then everything shut down, so I really threw myself into my doctorate in a big way. Not just because I was excited about it, but also as a way to have something to focus on and stay sane.鈥
In graduating this month, Phelps joins a very special cohort; those students who started at UC at the same time Covid-19 first reached Aotearoa New Zealand.
These students have had to move and adapt to significant change and disruption introduced as a result of the pandemic, ensuring they could keep themselves and the UC community safe while moving forward with their qualifications.
Now, Professor Phelps is preparing to introduce students to another first at UC, the听Bachelor of Digital Screen with Honours.
鈥淥ur new degree allows students the flexibility to decide, over the course of their study, where their strengths lie in the digital screen industries,鈥 he says.
The new degree also favours the idea of learning by creating, which students will have the ability to do singularly, alongside their peers, educators, the screen industry and other creative professionals thanks to the work-integrated-learning and co-locational aspects of the programme.
鈥淭his is such an amazing time to be a storyteller, with new tools and techniques redefining what we know almost every day.鈥
鈥淥ur degree empowers young kiwis to get involved. It helps arm them with the tools they need to tell their own stories, to carve their own path and do things we (myself, UC and the world) haven鈥檛 even dreamed of yet.鈥
The introduction of the Digital Screen Campus, and it鈥檚 Bachelor of Digital Screen Production is timely as UC approaches its 150th听anniversary, demonstrating the University鈥檚 continued place at the forefront of innovative, future-focused thought leadership.
