Directory
Dr. Michele King, Director
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Dr. Michele King joined William & Mary in 1999 and has taught courses in public speaking, entertainment-education, small group, and intercultural communication and continues to coach and mentor students, faculty, staff, and alumni. She collaborates with colleagues across campus from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, Entrepreneurship Center (Rocket Pitch), and School of Education to the Arts & Sciences Graduate Center, the Data Science Jump Start program, Physics department, and Computer Science.
Her educational background includes a PhD in Communication (Entertainment-Education), MS in Corporate & Professional Communication, and a BA in Speech Communication. As a charter member of Omicron Delta Kappa at Christopher Newport University, she encourages student leadership and engages students to take risks and develop their voice as pioneers in their fields.
She is the Director of W&M's Academic & Applied Esports Program and serves on the Esports Advisory Board, Esports Faculty Task Force, Esports Steering Committee, and is the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF) Board of Governor's representative. Dr. King is the 2021-2022 National Collegiate Esports Director of the Year recipient and developed the STEM & SCRIM™ Esports Summer Camp.
Dr. King is a ludologist, advocate for esports, and for the past decade, has traveled the world to present her research on play, games, and gamification at several International Board Game Studies Association colloquia. She and her husband, Steve, live in Newport News, and her son Andrew, attends Virginia Commonwealth University.
Christopher Ahrens, Esports Coach Coordinator
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Christopher Ahrens is a William & Mary Alumni from the Class of 2020 who entered into the world of esports through his work as a play-by-play commentator and production manager. In his time as a freelance expert, he has worked with Battlefy, Riot Games, Rallycry, Cooler Master, and many other institutions in the space.
His educational background includes double-majoring in Religious Studies (with Departmental Honors) and Global Studies at William & Mary, culminating in a MA in Religious Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. He loves the interdisciplinary nature of esports, and encourages students to explore the wide range of opportunities that the field accommodates.
In his free time, Chris still works as a commentator for a variety of esports and traditional sports, most recently adding "pro wrestling announcer" to his resume. He lives in Williamsburg.
John Drummond, Technology Lead
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John Drummond serves as team lead for Academic Information Services Engineering (AISE) and support engineer for the Humanities. He can be found in classrooms, labs, offices, and under desks all over campus. John holds a BA in English and an MS in Technical and Scientific Communication from James Madison University and has worked in IT since 1996, in both private and public realms. He came to work in esports at its foundation at William & Mary, and has been instrumental in the creation and maintenance of the Program's facilities across campus. He also serves as the coach and supervisor of the Rocket League team, under the player tag "Omarius."
