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Andrew Federspiel, who graduates with honors today, is the first University of Mary Washington student to be accepted to the
Moeller
Norwood
Tracy
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Morton |
Andrew Federspiel has made history at the University of Mary Washington because of a boy in space who fights off one-eyed squid-like creatures.
Federspiel, 22, who graduates from UMW today, will be the school's first computer-science major to enroll in Carnegie Mellon's prestigious Entertainment Technology Center.
Over the past two semesters, he has been perfecting his own game, called "Rodney Wickett in Space Boy Adventures," for independent-study credit. He received an A for the work, which required 40 pages of computer code and helped him get into Carnegie Mellon.
"I was into making card games and board games, but I never knew how to program," said Federspiel, who will graduate with honors.
The game, a cross between "Pac-Man" and "Super Mario Brothers," is about a boy stranded on Planet Rijo who needs to collect enough energy to fly his spaceship back to Earth.
Players can use special abilities by collecting space chocolate. The enemies, called "squiddies," try to steal the space boy's energy.
Federspiel, who's from New Jersey, came to UMW as a psychology major. An introductory computer-science course changed his career plans.
"I think that's kind of reflected in the fact that I like games which have to do with the psychology of the player," he said.
In fact, he sometimes enters his apartment to the sound of his roommates playing the space game. One might be saying "No, no, no!" as he runs out of time to collect energy.
It's funny and flattering, Federspiel said.
"It gives it a purpose," he said. "You find they are having fun with my game, and it's like, mission complete."
When he was 13, Federspiel invented a card game called Heroes of the Arena, similar to the popular trading card game called Magic: The Gathering.
He never expected to go the video-game route.
"I thought it was the most complicated thing ever, that I would never learn," he said.
That changed his freshman year, when the computer-science course piqued his interest.
Federspiel also learned a lot on his own because he didn't take UMW's game-programming class. Computer-science professor Jennifer Polack-Wahl got to know him in the fall of 2006 during a graphics course.
For an assignment, he made a video game in which players maneuver squares around a maze. Polack-Wahl encouraged Federspiel to pursue his passion despite the course limitations.
"If that's where they want to go, we'll do everything in our power to help them get there," she said of the department, which has six professors.
He went on to finish the more advanced space game this year.
"Andrew has gone the nontraditional way and really strove for what he wanted," Polack-Wahl said.
In his spare time, Federspiel plays video games and reads video-game blogs and technology Web sites.
He said his role model is Carnegie Mellon computer-science professor Randy Pausch, co-founder of the Entertainment Technology Center.
Pausch, who made Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people this year, gave an inspirational "last lecture" in 2007 about achieving childhood dreams. He is dying from metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Federspiel, who wants to be a video-game programmer or designer, says he looks forward to being a part of Pausch's legacy.
"They're experimenting with games that have never been done before," he said. "And that's what I want to do--do things that haven't been done."
To play "Space Boy Adventures," go to andrewfed.umwblogs.org/about.Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com
Six professors will be awarded emeritus status at the University of Mary Washington's commencement ceremony today. Judith A. Crissman will be named professor emeritus of chemistry. Crissman joined the Mary Washington faculty in 1968. She has been a member of numerous academic committees. She has been the Jepson Science Center faculty advisor to the Honor Council for the past seven years. Since 1988, she also has been the faculty advisor for the university's chapter of Chi Beta Phi National Science and Mathematics Honor Society, serving as the national historian/marshal and counselor. Crissman also has served on the board of directors of the Campus Christian Community. Stephen L. Griffin will be named professor emeritus of art. An accomplished photographer, painter and printmaker, Griffin has taught at Mary Washington since 1983. He taught at Madison Area Technical College, Jacksonville State University in Alabama and Virginia Commonwealth University. Griffin has had both solo and group shows in state, regional and national venues, winning awards and bringing him further opportunities for professional development such as arts fellowships. His work can be found in the collections of educational and financial institutions, as well as businesses. Thomas G. Moeller will be named professor emeritus of psychology. Moeller began his Mary Washington career in 1973. His main areas of expertise are normal and abnormal child development, educational psychology, parenting education and the study of aggression in youths and adults. He has given workshops on these topics to parents and educators and is the author of the book "Youth Aggression and Violence," published in 2001. For 10 years, Moeller coordinated an annual statewide workshop for high school psychology teachers. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for Research in Child Development, and the Virginia Psychological Association. In 2007, Moeller received the Grellet C. Simpson Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. W. Brown Morton III will be named professor emeritus of historic preservation. Before coming to Mary Washington in 1985, Morton worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior for 12 years, and was principal architect of the Historic American Buildings Survey and chief of the Technical Preservation Services Division of the National Park Service. He is co-author of The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation Projects, including the Standards for Rehabilitation used by the Fredericksburg Architectural Review Board. He also oversaw the UNESCO efforts to save Hue, Vietnam, which was damaged during the Vietnam War, and he served on the Consultative Committee for the Safeguarding of Borobudur, Indonesia, home of the largest Buddhist monument in the world. His articles have been published in National Geographic magazine. In 1995, Morton was elected by the Mary Washington board of visitors to be the Prince B. Woodard Chair of Historic Preservation. The late Patricia P. Norwood will be named professor emeritus of music. A member of the Mary Washington faculty since 1977, Norwood died Jan. 22. She received a bachelor's degree from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Illinois and master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focused on the music of the Middle Ages and on 19th-century lieder. Norwood served two terms as chair of the Department of Music. The author of "Music in Mr. Monroe's Fredericksburg (1787-1789)," she recently presented at the 20th annual James Monroe Lecture and Recital. In addition to serving on numerous departmental and universitywide committees, she was involved with many community organizations. She performed with the Fredericksburg Presbyterian Brass Ensemble and the Fredericksburg Community Concert Band. In 2005 she received the J. Christopher Bill Outstanding Faculty Service award. Arthur L. Tracy will be named professor emeritus of history and American studies. Primarily a cultural and intellectual historian, Tracy has taught a wide range of courses at the university, including the history of the Civil War. He directed the American studies program for 20 years, and served as the chair of the History and American Studies Department for six years. In 1981, he received the Grellet C. Simpson Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. He began teaching at Mary Washington in 1968, the first and only faculty appointment of his career. |
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Outstanding University of Mary Washington students were honored during Senior Convocation last night. Justin C. Simeone of Tolland, Mass., received the UMW Alumni Award for demonstrating an outstanding combination of academic excellence, leadership and service to the university. James William Colin Biddle of Richmond received the Fredericksburg Kiwanis Award. Joni Prodoehl-Briganti of Spotsylvania County and Meghann Meredith Green of Falmouth were presented the UMW Alumni Association Bachelor of Liberal Studies Distinguished Graduate Award for academic excellence and citizenship. Hannah Williams of Coleman Falls was awarded the UMW Outstanding Student Leadership Award for leadership and service through involvement in activities and organizations and the Clara Boyd Wheeler Senior Service Award for a graduating senior who exemplifies grace, a spirit of service and the ability to change lives. Will Copps of Alexandria and Eddy Thornton of Rahway, N.J., received the Alex J. Naden Memorial Award for students who show a spirit of leadership throughout their college careers. Colleen McMichael of Alexandria received the Elizabeth M. Baumgarten Leadership Award for outstanding service to the university and community. Justin Baker of Springfield and Liz Hickey of Virginia Beach received the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. Lucy Quann, academic secretary in the business department, received the Outstanding Service to Students award from the senior class. |
The University of Mary Washington expects to graduate more than 1,200 students during its 97th commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. today in Ball Circle on the Fredericksburg campus. |
