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Kenneth S McAllister

  • Associate Dean, Research / Program Innovation
  • Professor, Public / Applied Humanities
  • Professor, Second Language Acquisition / Teaching - GIDP
  • Professor, Teaching/Learning and Sociocultural Studies
  • Professor, School of Information
  • Professor, Institute for LGBT Studies
Contact
  • (520) 626-2363
  • Modern Languages, Rm. 345F3
  • Tucson, AZ 85721
  • mesmer@email.arizona.edu
  • Bio
  • Interests
  • Courses
  • Scholarly Contributions

Biography

A Professor of Public & Applied Humanities, Ken S. McAllister specializes in the early history of Western rhetorics, rhetorics of technology, and computer game studies. He has authored or co-authored six books, three edited collections, and dozens of articles and book chapters on media history, theory, and analysis. In his role as Co-Director of the Learning Games Initiative Research Archive—one of the largest publicly accessible collections of computer games and related material in the world—he has also published and lectured widely on the politics and processes of digital artifact archiving and preservation. 

Ken is currently serving as the Associate Dean of Research and Program Innovation in the College of Humanities, is Co-Chair of the Research Computing Governance Council's Data Visualization Committee, and is a founding partner of the UA CATalyst Studio (ne: iSpace), a campus-located maker lab accessible to all students, staff, and faculty interested in exploring immersive VR, augmented reality, 3D modeling and additive manufacturing, motion capture, Arduino and Raspberry Pi development, and other innovative tools for transdisciplinary scholars and teachers.

Degrees

  • Ph.D. English--Rhetoric
    • University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
    • (Un)Plugging Technology: Articulating Digital Discourse through a Rhetoric of Popular Computing (Thesis Advisors: William A. Covino & James J. Sosnoski)
  • M.A. Creative Writing--Poetry
    • University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • B.A. English--American Literature
    • University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Arizona, United States

Work Experience

  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2015 - Ongoing)
  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2015 - Ongoing)
  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2013 - 2014)
  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2011 - 2014)
  • College of Humanities (2009 - 2010)
  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2004 - 2010)
  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (1998 - 2004)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (1994 - 1996)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (1992 - 1998)
  • State of Illinois (1992 - 1994)
  • Mac's Electro-Diner (1991 - 1998)
  • Academic Computing, Inc. (1982 - 1991)

Related Links

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Interests

Research

applied humanities, history of rhetoric, classical and medieval rhetoric, Marxist theory, computational rhetorics, history of technology, digital humanities, maker culture, high performance computing in the humanities, computer game studies, history of magic, video game studies, archival studies, new media studies, woodworking, banjo

Teaching

applied humanities, history of rhetoric, classical and medieval rhetoric, Marxist theory, computational rhetorics, history of technology, digital humanities, maker culture, computer games, history of magic, video games

Courses

2020-21 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2021)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2020)

2019-20 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2020)
  • Internship
    PAH 693 (Spring 2020)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2019)
  • Independent Study
    PAH 599 (Fall 2019)

2018-19 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2019)
  • Internship
    PAH 693 (Spring 2019)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2018)
  • Senior Capstone
    EAS 498 (Fall 2018)

2017-18 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2018)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2017)

2016-17 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2017)
  • Independent Study
    ENGL 599 (Spring 2017)
  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Fall 2016)
  • Introduction to Publishing
    ENGL 389 (Fall 2016)

2015-16 Courses

  • Dissertation
    ENGL 920 (Spring 2016)

Related Links

UA Course Catalog

Scholarly Contributions

Books

  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2008). Fluency in Play: Computer Game Design for Less Commonly Taught Language Pedagogy. Tucson: Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy—A U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Foreign Language Resource Center.
    More info
    Funded by a competitive grant from the Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy.
  • McAllister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. (2005). Game Studies: A Report on the State of the Field. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Journal 2.1.
  • McAllister, K. S. (2004). Capitalizing on Play: The Politics of Computer Gaming. Works & Days 43/44 v. 22.
  • McAllister, K. S. (2004). Game Work: Language, Power, and Computer Game Culture. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.

Chapters

  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2018). Tempest: Archives/Archiving. In How to Play Video Games. New York: New York University Press.
  • Zimmerman, J. J., Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2018). The Overhead Projector: Visuality and Materiality. In Routledge Companion to Media Technology and Obsolescence. New York: Routledge.
  • Mcallister, K. S., Ruggill, J. E., Conradi, T., Conway, S., deWinter, J., Hanson, C., Kocurek, C., Moberly, K., Nichols, R., Nohr, R., & Ouellette, M. (2016). ‘Is a Man Not Entitled to the Sweat of His Brow?’: Apportioned Commodity Fetishism and the Transformative Power of Game Studies. In Examining the Evolution of Gaming and Its Impact on Social, Cultural, and Political Perspectives(pp 96-122). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
  • Reynolds, R. H., Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2016). Game Culture. In Debugging Game History: A Critical Lexicon(pp 187-94). Cambridge: MIT Press.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2016). E(SRB) is for Everyone: Game Ratings and the Practice of Content Evaluation. In Video Game Policy: Production, Distribution, and Consumption(pp 71-84). New York and London: Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).
  • Grewell, G., Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2015). "You Really Do Have Brain-Damage, Don’t You?”: Ridicule as Game Mechanic in the Portal Series. In “The Cake is a Lie”: Polyperspektivische Betrachtungen des Computerspiels am Beispiel von Portal(pp 323-48). Münster/Berlin: Lit-Verlag.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & McAllister, K. S. (2014). Against the Use of Computer Games in the Classroom: The Wickedness of Ludic Pedagogies. In The Game Culture Reader(pp 86--102). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2014). Foreword. In Computer Games and Technical Communication: Critical Methods & Applications at the Intersection(pp xvii-xviii). Surrey: Ashgate Publishing.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2013). Invention, Authorship, and Massively Collaborative Media. In Media Authorship(pp 137-50). New York: Routledge.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2010). "Is He 'Avin a Laugh?": The Importance of Fun to Virtual Play Studies. In Utopic Dreams and Apocalyptic Fantasies: Critical Approaches to Researching Video Game Play(pp 43-58). Lanham: Lexington Books/Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Ruggill, J. E., Mcallister, K. S., & Chaney, J. R. (2009). Introduction: Without Analogy. In The Computer Culture Reader(pp 1-8). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2006). Video Game. In American Icons: An Encyclopedia of the People, Places, and Things that have Shaped Our Culture(pp 727-32). Westport: Greenwood Press.
  • Menchaca, D., Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2004). How to Run a Game Night. In Game Work: Language, Power, and Computer Game Culture(pp 181-98). Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.

Journals/Publications

  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2018). Playing to Death. American Journal of Play.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2013). Union Yes? Computer Game Design, Management, and Labor Relations. G|A|M|E: The Italian Journal of Game Studies, 2(2), Web.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2012). Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three: Quality Assurance and Game Development. Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, 4(3), 289-95.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2011). On the Practice of Contemporary Computer Game Development: An Interview with Ryan Kaufman. Journal of Media Practice, 12(1), 89-93.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2011). Computer Game Archiving and the Serious Work of Silliness. Animation Journal, 19, 67-77.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2011). Moving Targets: The Constant Change of Mobile Game Development. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 5(1), 93-98.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2010). "Stay Small and Keep it All": Making a Big Splash in Boutique Game Development. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 4(1), 103-07.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2010). No B.S.: The Contemporary Practice of Game Education, Design, and Development. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 4(1), 117-22.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2010). Development in Context. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 4(1), 101.
  • Ruggill, J. E., Nichols, R. J., Moeller, R. M., & Mcallister, K. S. (2010). Preface: A Community of Players. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 4(2), 133.
  • deWinter, J., Griffin, D., Mcallister, K. S., Moeller, R. M., & Ruggill, J. E. (2010). Computer Games Across the Curriculum: A Critical Review of an Emerging Techno-Pedagogy. Currents in Electronic Literacy, 11, Web.
    More info
    Reprinted in _Gaming as Imagination Technology_. Ed. Lonny J. Avi Brooks and Barbara Keyser. San Diego: Cognella, 2013. 69-82.
  • deWinter, J., Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2010). Evoking the Inexpressible: The Fine Art and Business of Games. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture, 4(2), 109-15.
  • Lowood, H., Monnens, D., Vowell, Z., Ruggill, J. E., Mcallister, K. S., & Armstrong, A. (2009). Before It's Too Late: A Digital Game Preservation White Paper. American Journal of Play, 2(2), 139-66.
  • Thompson, J., Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2009). Onward Through the Fog: Computer Game Collection and the Play of Obsolescence. M/C Journal, 12(3), Web.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2006). The Wicked Problem of Collaboration. M/C Journal, 9(2), Web.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2005). Preface. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Journal, 2(1), 2.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2005). Special Issue. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Journal, 2(1), 1-84.
    More info
    Guest editor
  • Ruggill, J. E., Moeller, R. M., Pearce, B., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005). Teaching Media Culture with Computer Games. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Journal, 2(1), 53-58.
  • Menchaca, D., Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2004). The Gamework. Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 1(4), 297-312.

Proceedings Publications

  • McAllister, K. S. (2014). Game Studies, Culture, Play, and Practice Wrap-up and Roundup. In The 35th Annual Conference of The Southwest Popular/American Culture Association.
  • Lowood, H., Armstrong, A., Monnens, D., Vowell, Z., Ruggill, J. E., Mcallister, K. S., Donahue, R., & Pinchbeck, D. (2009, September). Before It’s Too Late: Preserving Games Across the Industry/Academia Divide. In DiGRA '09 - Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory, 5, 1-7.
  • Ruggill, J. E., Ruggill, J. E., Mcallister, K. S., Mcallister, K. S., Menchaca, D., & Menchaca, D. (2003, Spring). The Game-work: Toward an Art of Computer Game Analysis. In Southwest/Texas Popular and American Culture Associations, 784-91.

Presentations

  • McAllister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. (2017, February). Game Studies Wrap-Up Session. Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference. Albuquerque, NM: Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2017, October). Futility, Futurity, and Junk: Thoughts on the Theory and Practice of Computer Game Archiving. ZeM Events. Potsdam, Germany: ZeM—Brandenburgisches Zentrum für Medienwissenschaften.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2014, October). Show & Tell: Tales from the (Video Game) Archive, Part II. Confluencecenter Show & Tell Series. Tucson, AZ: Confluencecenter for Creative Inquiry/Playground Bar and Lounge.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2013, October). Why Playing Games Makes for Good Homework. Vegas Valley Book Festival. Las Vegas, NV: Vegas Valley Book Festival.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2012, October). Show & Tell: Tales from the (Video Game) Archive. Confluencecenter Show & Tell Series. Tucson, AZ: Confluencecenter for Creative Inquiry/Playground Bar and Lounge.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2011, November). Gonzo Archiving: Arcana, Apocrypha, and a Boatload of Computer Games. The 39th Annual Museum Computer Network Conference. Atlanta, GA: The Museum Computer Network.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2010, November). Computer Game Archiving and the Serious Work of Being Silly. Reimagining the Archive: Remapping and Remixing Traditional Models in the Digital Era. Los Angeles, CA: University of California, Los Angeles.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2008, April). Game to Learn. Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy Workshop. Tucson: Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language, and Literacy.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2008, October). Innovative Technology Tools for the Foreign Language Classroom. Arizona Language Association Fall Conference. Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Language Association.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2007, Fall). Contemporary Computer Game-Based Training and Development. Monthly Training Breakfast. Tucson, AZ: American Society for Training and Development, Greater Tucson Chapter.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2007, March). What Marketing and Communications Professionals Really Need to Know About Web 2.0. UA Marketing Group. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona.
  • Ruggill, J. E., Mcallister, K. S., & Wyman, M. T. (2006, October). Educational Game Design and Development. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Conference. Oxford, OH: The International Digital Media and Arts Association.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2005, Fall). The Art and Industry of Computer Games. Sun City Vistoso Kiwanis Club Officers Installation Dinner. Tucson, AZ: Sun City Vistoso Kiwanis Club.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, June). Game to Teach: Using and Building Games for Indigenous Language Education. American Indian Language Development Institute. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, October). Introduction to Game Studies. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Conference. Orlando, FL: The International Digital Media and Arts Association.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, October). Introduction to Machinimation. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Conference. Orlando, FL: The International Digital Media and Arts Association.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, September). Gaming with Kids: The Problems and Potentialities of Using Computer Games in Elementary School Curricula. College of Education Seminar Series on Instructional Technologies. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, Summer). How to Build Games for Fun and Profit. Summer Event Series. Tucson, AZ: Tucson-Pima Public Library - Joel D. Valdez Main Library.
  • Ruggill, J. E., Mcallister, K. S., & Pearce, B. (2005, October). Critical Play: Computer Games in the University Classroom. The International Digital Media and Arts Association Conference. Orlando, FL: The International Digital Media and Arts Association.
  • Mcallister, K. S., Ruggill, J. E., Menchaca, D., Pearce, L., & Reed, J. (2003, May). Playing to Learn: Using Computer Games in the Writing Classroom. Computers and Writing: Discovering Digital Dimensions. West Lafayette, IN: Computers and Writing.

Creative Productions

  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2015. Your Parents’ Video Games. Pima County Public Library, Woods Branch, Summer Reading Program. Tucson, AZ: Pima County Public Library.
    More info
    Exhibition
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2013. Archiving Gaming. Phoenix Art Museum. Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Art Museum.
    More info
    Exhibition
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2007. SimUniverse: A Brief Look at the History of a Learning Technology. University of Arkansas. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas.
    More info
    Exhibition
  • Mcallister, K. S., Ruggill, J. E., Travers, B., & Martin, J. (2006. Documenting Digital Play: Computer Games and their Communities. University of Arizona Libraries. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Libraries.
    More info
    Exhibition
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2005. Playing with History: A Hands-on Exhibit for Understanding the Evolution of Human-Computer Interfaces. Learning Technologies Center. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona.
    More info
    Exhibition
  • Mcallister, K. S., Ruggill, J. E., & Battle, S. (2005. Game Time: 30 Years of Computer Games, Gimmicks, and Gewgaws. iDEAs Exhibition. Orlando, FL: The International Digital Media and Arts Association.
    More info
    Exhibition

Others

  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2016, August 27). Power Up or Down: Are Video Games Ruining Us? Research Says Effects are Diverse, Unpredictable. Arizona Republic.
  • McAllister, K. S. (2014). Introducing the New UA School of Information.
  • McAllister, K. S., Cheshire, A., Bruck, M., Melo, M., & Rick, D. (2014). Don't Mind the Gap: Teaching Humanists How to (Re)Think in Parallel (White Paper).
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2013, January 28). Resistance is Futile. You will be Assimilated. MediaCommons.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2013, June 20). The Everyday Play of Collaboration. The New Everyday: A MediaCommons Project.
  • Licona, A. C., Mcallister, K. S., Russell, S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2012, January 20). Straight, Queer, or Academic? A Couple of Couples Talk Research Relationships in Higher Ed. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2012, October 10). A Modest Proposal for Immodest Times? Those Ready to Retire Cannot Go, While Those Inclined to Stay Face Tremendous Pressure to Leave. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2010, January 15). An Academic Bestiary for the Intrepid Job Seeker: During the Campus Visit, Predator, Prey, and Pedant Alike Come Together and Woe to Those Ill-prepared for the Encounter. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Lowood, H., Monnens, D., Armstrong, A., Ruggill, J. E., Mcallister, K. S., Vowell, Z., & Donahue, R. (2009, Spring). Before It's Too Late: A Digital Game Preservation White Paper. International Game Developers Association.
  • Mcallister, K. S., & Ruggill, J. E. (2009, Fall). "Can't Hardly Overdo It": Game Education and the Pursuit of Collaboration. Game Education Network.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2007, February 9). Beyond the Steady State. Flow.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, January 21). A Couple of Rare Birds: How Can You Summarize Two Scholarly Careers in a Single Two-page Cover Letter?. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, June 24). Game Over: A Couple of Game Studies Scholars, Who Aren't a Couple in the Romantic Sense, Come Up Short in Their Dual Job Search. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, March 18). Team Job Interviews: Two Scholars in Game Studies Share What It’s Like to Endure the Interview Gantlet with a Partner. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, September 23). An Analog Form in a Digital Box: Sitcoms, Mitcoms, and New Media Pliancy. Flow.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2005, Spring). The International Digital Media and Arts Association Journal.
  • Ruggill, J. E., & Mcallister, K. S. (2004, October 8). Game for Anything: Academic Couple Seeks Open-Minded Institution for Nontraditional Relationship. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

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