Gift from Zynga to Establish Gaming Lab and Scholarships

Gift from Zynga will Establish Gaming Lab and Scholarships

Zynga, a leading developer of social games, recently announced a $1 million gift to establish annual scholarships and implement a pilot gaming program for Spelman College students.

"Spelman has a long tradition of expanding the pipeline of talent into areas where Black women have been most underrepresented. To continue this trend for our current and future students, we all must work collaboratively to provide real-world, educational, and hands-on experiences," said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. "Through our partnership with Zynga, Spelman will continue to make a global impact by shortening the gender and racial divide present in gaming and tech."

The gift will support students like junior Madeleine Brown, a computer science major, and one of the first recipients of the Zynga annual scholarship.

"Video games have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and my studies here at Spelman helped me gain the skills to better traverse the world of game development," Brown said. "To be named one of the first recipients of this scholarship means that I am paving the way for other women who are interested in STEM and gaming."

Play Directed by Spelman Alumna and Professor Explores Black Life

As part of its 2020/21 season, the Alliance Theatre will produce "THE NEW BLACK PLAY FEST'S HANDS UP: 7 PLAYWRIGHTS, 7 TESTAMENTS," in association with Spelman College.

Directed by Spelman professor Keith Arthur Bolden and alumna Alexis Woodard, C'2020, the play depicts the realities of Black America from the perspective of varying genders, sexual orientations, skin tones and socioeconomic backgrounds.

"I have yet to see a show that engages with the Black American experience in a way that is as raw and demanding of the artists and audience as HANDS UP," said Woodard. "This is a piece that everybody needs to experience. I want to believe when we are confronted with the pain of another human’s experience, it is our natural reaction to respond with empathy and love."

On October 22, the Alliance Theatre will host a discounted performance for members of the Atlanta University Center community. For $15 tickets use the AUC15 discount code at check out. For more information visit the Alliance Theatre online.

Professor Directs Episode of
"Our Kind of People"

Julie Dash, a Diana King Endowed professor of film in the Department of Art & Visual Culture, shared her directorial talents with the new FOX series "Our Kind of People."

Episode 105 titled "The Miseducation of the Negro" will air at 9 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Known for her landmark film, "Daughters of the Dust," Dash joined the Spelman faculty in 2017 to help develop the new documentary filmmaking major.

The Library of Congress has placed "Daughters of the Dust," and more recently Dash's short film "Illusions" in the National Film Registry.

Alumna Named Denver Chief Equity Officer

Aisha (Shamburger) Rousseau, Ph.D., C’98, was recently named by Denver’s mayor as the city’s Chief Equity Officer.

Dr. Rousseau comes to the position after a six-year stint as Denver’s Director of Disability Rights in the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships, where she oversaw $650 million in architectural and programmatic updates.

As the new Chief Equity Officer, Dr. Rousseau will work with the mayor and the city’s senior leadership to define and implement the overarching vision and strategy to become an even more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization for employees, Denver residents, and all who do business with the city.