Hey there, I'm Nisha! I'm passionate about video games and the power of stories. I received my B.S. in Computer Science and Comparative Media Studies from MIT. After two years in industry, I'm now working on my PhD in Human-Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington.
Worked for gaming giants PlayStation and Twitch, focusing on backend systems. 5+ years of rigorous coding experience in Python, Golang, C++, and HTML/CSS.
3+ years of designing for various playful experiences; created my own games in Unity, prototyped UI tools for game developers, and written interactive curricula for K-12 students.
Publications in academic conferences, workshops, and journals. More informally, maintained blogs where I blasted all my thoughts to the Internet since 2011, both personally and professionally.
Fell in love with a world that wasn’t my own, and embarked on a lifelong journey to learn everything I could about video games.
Achieved professional fluency in Japanese, mostly to play Final Fantasy 7 as it was originally written. Studied abroad a few times and literally overdosed on green tea.
Carved out a video game shaped niche for myself professionally. Lived in a bunker where I used my first power tools, stayed up too late every night, and made lifelong friends.
Worked on my first ever mobile game. Created more paper prototypes than I can count, and shipped my first features. Played way too much Pokemon Go.
Got decent at Unity, web dev, and being a real researcher. Researched and designed playful interactive experiences with the most empowering and inspirational group of people.
Got my first taste of the game industry, and got way too into God of War. Figured out how to manage my own memory in C++. Checked working for PlayStation off my bucket list.
Battled impostor syndrome while hammering out improvements to the internet's premier streaming platform. Forced my friends to watch me stream.
Researching the ways in which games can be a positive force for education and wellness.