Hi, I'm Marj (pronouns: she/her).

I'm a researcher and a first-year Computational Media PhD student in the Alternative Learning Technologies and Games (ALT Games) Lab at UC Santa Cruz.

I use analytical and creative methods to research my various interests across HCI and Games. I'm primarily curious how emotional experiences in games could be used for learning and social impact. This leads me to explore areas such as player experience, affective learning, adaptive gaming, embodied interaction, failure, and games user research.

My work builds from my interdisciplinary backgrounds in human-computer interaction and digital media studies.

I'm from the beautiful Northern Mariana Islands. Thankful to be a Gates Millennium Scholarship recipient to support my research career.