Richard Hebblewhite

Richard is a multi-award winning Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader at Wrexham University. He is also the current Global Game Jam Regional Organiser for UK & Ireland.

With more than 20 years experience as an academic and free-lance developer, he is the founder of Games Talent Wales; the first Welsh nationally funded game talent development programme, specialising in the support and creation of sustainable indie game studios.

Richard is a member of BAFTA Cymru, and is also the Tranzfuser Local Hub Coordinator for North Wales (based at WU) where he established the Level Up Wales initiative which has grown to become the most successful business accelerators and game industry partnership programmes in Wales.

His primary research interests involve the use of game technology within education in addition to the practicalities of game development such as production management, optimisation of graphical rendering, immersive game design and artificial intelligence systems for games.

Winner - Wales STEM Awards, STEM Ambassador of the Year (Highly Commended Prize), 2023 

Finalist - Wales STEM Awards, STEM Educational Programme of the Year, 2023

Winner - F. Jones Initiative Award, 2022 Winner - Grads in Games, Academic of the Year, 2020.

Finalist - Grads in Games - University of the Year Award, 2020. Finalist - UK Games Fund Local Community Spirit Award, 2019.

Finalist - UK Games Fund Local Tranzfuser Hub of the Year, 2019.

Finalist - Grads in Games - University of the Year Award, 2019. Winner - UK Games Fund Community Contributor of the Year, 2018.

Winner - UK Games Fund Local Tranzfuser Hub of the Year, 2018.