What does GDA do?

A lot! We make one game every year, pitched by student volunteers in the Fall.  We also run weekly workshops for aspiring game developers (covering topics like audio, narrative, game design, etc), and host game jams. Overall, we do things that give students opportunities to get game-making experience, learn game development disciplines, and find friends who also enjoy games.

How do I join/become a member?

You just have to be a UCSC student and join our Discord community. There you will find out about any upcoming events, and meet fellow game devs!

Click here to join the Discord!

When does GDA meet?

Our weekly meetings are always on Fridays from 6-8 pm, either in-person at DARC 308 or online through Zoom. We will always announce the topic and location of our general meetings on our Discord beforehand.

We also have weekly department meeting times that can be found in this Google Calendar!

I have more questions!

Please post any other questions in the #general-chat in the GDA Discord server, or private message anyone with the ‘Admin’ or ‘Officer’ roles on there, and they will be happy to help!

Ivy Dudzik (she/her)

President

Saira Hamid (she/any)

Mock Studio Coordinator

Gabe Ahrens (he/him)

Chief Operating Officer

Mandy Xie (she/they/he)

Vice President, Art Officer

Ronan Tsoi (he/him)

Vice President, Production Officer

Robin Medina (she/her)

Design Officer

Sam Spivey (he/him)

Sound Officer

Kait Srivastav (she/her)

Programming Officer

Joelle Kaufman (she/her)

Writing Officer

Tien Le (she/he/they)

Marketing Manager

Torrey Spear (she/her)

Outreach Officer

Sofia Aminifard (she/her)

Webmaster

Jared Nussbaum (he/him)

Mock Studio Coordinator

John Sai (he/him)

Treasurer

Madison Navarro (she/her)

Art Officer

Danica Dancel Carlos (she/any)

Production Officer

Aegis Michael (she/her)

Design Officer

Jade Sells (she/they)

Sound Officer

Hunter Kingsley (he/him)

Programming Officer

Jason Rangel-Martinez (he/him)

Writing Officer

Catherine Head (she/her)

Event Coordinator

Previous Officers


2024-25

  • Alexa Medina: 2024-25 Vice President, Design Officer
  • Dylan Mahler: 2024-25 Logistics Officer
  • Emily Tran: 2024-25 Events Coordinator
  • Ethan Yoshino: 2024-25 Design Officer
  • Evan Lake: 2024-25 Programming Officer
  • Gabe Ahrens: 2024-25 Sound Officer
  • Garrett Blake: 2024-25 Chief Operating Officer
  • Jared Nussbaum: 2024-25 Programming Officer
  • Joe Gibson: 2024-25 Writing Officer
  • Joelle Kaufman: 2024-25 Community Manager
  • Jonah Ryan: 2024-25 President
  • Juliana Luu: 2024-25 Community Manager
  • Juno Cheng: 2024-25 Production Officer
  • Sammy Chang: 2024-25 Shadow Officer
  • Sai Hamid: 2024-25 Outreach Officer
  • Savannah Burch: 2024-25 Art Officer

2023-24

  • Athena Patronas: 2023-24 Art Officer
  • Celine Lafosse: 2023-24 Writing Officer
  • Gloria Chim: 2023-24 Vice President/Art Officer
  • Jane Grantham: 2023-24 Vice President/Production Officer, 2022-23 Mock Studio Coordinator
  • Jessica Yoon: 2023-24 Design Officer
  • Nicholas Schetman: 2023-24 Treasurer
  • Rohan Venkatapuram: 2023-24 Webmaster
  • Seren Becker: 2023-24 Writing Officer
  • Tatiana Lucero: 2023-24 Mock Studio Coordinator
  • Tiana Chamsi: 2023-24 President
  • Tori Moore: 2023-24 Design Officer
  • Tyler Knowlton: 2023-24 Chief Operating Officer
  • Vinh Ta: 2023-24 Sound Officer

2022-23

  • Andrew Dunne: 2020-22 Vice President, 2020-23 Art Officer, 2022-23 Writing Officer
  • Annalivia Martin Straw: 2022-23 Vice President, Outreach Officer
  • Annie Zhang: 2021-23 Art Officer, 2022-23 Vice President
  • Calex Raffield: 2022-23 Programming Officer
  • Jane Grantham: 2023-24 Vice President/Production Officer, 2022-23 Mock Studio Coordinator
  • Neo Zhang: 2022-23 Design Officer
  • Parmpreet Gill: 2021-23 Sound Officer, 2022-23 Vice President
  • Robert Newlin: 2021-22 Mock Studio Coordinator, 2022-23 President
  • Ryan McCarty: 2022-23 Writing Officer
  • Sophie Martin: 2022-23 Community Manager

2021-23

  • Annie Zhang: 2021-23 Art Officer, 2022-23 Vice President
  • Autumn Moulios: 2021-23 Sound Officer
  • Nik Thomas: 2021-23 Design Officer
  • Parmpreet Gill: 2021-23 Sound Officer, 2022-23 Vice President
  • Zoey Laytart: 2021-23 Production Officer

2021-22

  • Cameron Beattie: 2021-22 Design Officer
  • Eric Long: 2020-21 Production Officer/Outreach Coordinator/Event Coordinator, 2021-22 President
  • Joshua Augenstein: 2021-22 Programming Officer
  • Naman Bushan: 2021-22 Logistics Officer/Treasurer
  • Robert Newlin: 2021-22 Mock Studio Coordinator, 2022-23 President
  • Ryoma Marta-Sugawara: 2020-21 Webmaster, 2021-22 Vice President/Production Officer

2020-22

  • Andrew Dunne: 2020-22 Vice President, 2020-23 Art Officer, 2022-23 Writing Officer
  • Molly Thompson: 2020-22 Writing Officer
  • Stevie Rodriguez: 2020-22 Writing Officer

2020-21

  • Dallas Truong: 2020-21 Production Officer/Outreach Coordinator/Event Coordinator
  • Enrico Widodo: 2020-21 Sound Officer
  • Eric Long: 2020-21 Production Officer/Outreach Coordinator/Event Coordinator, 2021-22 President
  • Herman Wu: 2020-21 Art Officer
  • Jeven Zarate-McCoy: 2019-20 Vice President/Writing Lead, 2020-21 President/Writing Officer
  • Justin Hammer: 2019-21 Treasurer, 2020-21 Archivist
  • Niko Sanchez: 2020-21 Design Officer/Community Manager
  • Ricky Chavez: 2020-21 Design Officer
  • Ryoma Marta-Sugawara: 2020-21 Webmaster, 2021-22 Vice President/Production Officer
  • Thomas Applewhite: 2019-20 Webmaster, 2020-21 Programming Officer

2019-21

  • Holly Cheng: 2019-21 Art Lead/Officer
  • Justin Hammer: 2019-21 Treasurer, 2020-21 Archivist

2019-20

  • Charles Miller: 2019-20 Production Lead/Archivist/Outreach Coordinator
  • Gigi Bachtel: 2019-20 Design Lead
  • Jeven Zarate-McCoy: 2019-20 Vice President/Writing Lead, 2020-21 President/Writing Officer
  • Seiji Emery: 2019-20 Programming Lead
  • Thomas Applewhite: 2019-20 Webmaster, 2020-21 Programming Officer
  • Valentino Abate: 2018-19 Vice President, 2019-20 President/Programming Lead

2018-21

  • Madeleine Glenn: 2018-21 Sound Lead/Officer

2018-19

  • Eric Mitchell: 2018-19 Archivist/Webmaster
  • Liam Dugard: 2017-18 Event Coordinator, 2018-19 President
  • Muhammad Al-Suwaidi: 2018-19 Art Lead
  • Valentino Abate: 2018-19 Vice President, 2019-20 President/Programming Lead

2017-18

  • Aubrey Issacman: 2017-18 Outreach
  • Christopher Paz: 2017-18 Outreach
  • Edmond Le: 2017-18 Treasurer
  • Fernando Zamora: 2017-18 Sound Lead
  • Gian Paredes: 2017-18 Outreach, 2018-19 Art Lead/Treasurer
  • Ian Rapoport: 2017-18 Event Coordinator
  • Jon Alancantara: 2017-18 Archivist
  • Kyle Oppenheim: 2017-18 Vice President
  • Liam Dugard: 2017-18 Event Coordinator, 2018-19 President
  • Linda Nguyen: 2017-18 Art Lead
  • Nicholas Ho: 2017-18 Event Coordinator
  • Nicole Maines: 2017-18 President

2017

  • Zane Gregorian: 2017 Sound Lead

2014-2017

  • Jarrett Van Den Bergh: 2014-17 Programming Officer
  • Allyssa: 2014-17 President

  • Daniel C: Webmaster