Email
mkagen@wpi.edu
Education
Ph.D., Standford University, 2016
M.A., University of Chicago, 2010
B.A. Brown University, 2009
Dr. Kagen is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Interactive Media & Game Development Program and a games studies and academic writer. After receiving her Ph.D. in Literature from Stanford University in 2016, she was a Lecturer in Digital Media & Gaming and Bangor University, a visiting scholar at the MIT Game Lab (in association with the Board Games & Colonialism project), and an Assistant Professor of Communication (with a focus on Gaming & Streaming) at Curry College.
Dr. Kagen’s work has been published in Game Studies, Convergence, Gamevironments, Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, The Year’s Work in Nerds, Wonks, and Neocons, Opera Quarterly, and German Quarterly and other popular outlets like The Guardian and Sidequest. She also serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds.
Research Interests
Game studies
Walking sims
Wandering
Playtesting
Misplay
Scholarly Work
Professor Kagen's research focuses on game studies, walking sims, and wandering.
Featured works:
Associate Editor, Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, published by Intellect Books
Kagen, M. (2022, August 30). Video Games and the Promise of Cake. Tor.Com. https://www.tor.com/2022/08/30/video-games-and-the-promise-of-cake/
Kagen, M. (2022).Wandering Games. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/13856.001.0001
Professional Affiliations
Professional Highlights & Honors
Associate Editor,
Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds
Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds