Professor, Chair
Department of Computer Science
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
1201 West University Dr.
Edinburg, TX 78539-2999, USA
Office: EIEAB 3.213
E-mail: emmett.tomai at utrgv dot edu
Phone: 956/665.2320
Fax: 956/665.5099
I work in the field of artificial intelligence on language, narrative and video games. Narrative is a ubiquitous human communication tool for making sense of the world, and I am interested in how we use it to describe, create and share experiences. Video games are not only an exciting, dynamic narrative medium, but a more tractable environment to carry out research on narrative. Games create simplified virtual worlds, where the actions and events are limited by the complexity of the world simulation. Game stories surround those formalized elements with free-form narrative about open-ended topics. I believe that we can leverage that partial constraint to make progress in developing richer computational models that can lead to more dynamic forms of storytelling.
As an educator, I am interested in how we can better teach analytical problem-solving skills, from K through college, that will prepare students in all disciplines to succeed in an increasingly technical world. I am exploring video games to develop intuitive, fundamental processes that make early problem-solving compelling and satisfying. These gateway experiences are intended to motivate, equip and build confidence for more rigorous study.
| CSCI 1380 Intro to Programming |
| CSCI 1370 Computer Science I |
| CSCI 2380 Computer Science II |
| CSCI 3328 Object-Oriented Programming in C# |
| CSCI 3342 Web Development (most recent) |
| CSCI 3370 Intro to Game Development (most recent) |