Tenure Trail: Setting Boundaries

Our Vision

We are developing a choice-based, full-motion video (FMV) game using Unreal Engine, building on a successful narrative film produced by NCPRE in 2022. This project will transform high production quality film content into an interactive experience where players guide a Ph.D researcher through complex, real-world dilemmas during their transition into a faculty role. The game employs dynamic, player-driven storytelling to fully engage users in scenarios that challenge them to make decisions, build relationships, and navigate the competing demands of research, teaching, and institutional expectations. This approach offers a unique and engaging learning experience that supports early-career faculty in developing essential skills to succeed—ultimately benefiting their students.

Creating a game-based experience offers a powerful way to engage a wider audience through an accessible, interactive medium. Players actively shape outcomes by making decisions that impact their success during the transition into faculty role, resulting in a more immersive and memorable learning experience than traditional professional development tools. Integrating film and gameplay allows us to build on existing, high production quality cinematic content while leveraging Unreal Engine’s capabilities to enhance interactivity and visual polish. Unreal Engine 5 is also the primary development tool used by the Game Studies Program at Illinois, aligning this project with current industry standards and providing students with transferable skills beyond gaming. This strategic choice supports our goal of creating seamless transitions between narrative film and player-driven gameplay, resulting in a cohesive and deeply engaging user experience.

Our Team

Our team brings together expertise in gameplay, film, education, and professional development. We are collaborating with the Game Studies Program at Illinois, including Dan Cermak and Dr. Katryna Starks. Dan Cermak brings over 35 years of experience in the video game industry, including leadership roles at Volition where he developed high-end console and PC games. As Game Studies Coordinator at Illinois, he has led projects that blend education and interactive media. Dr. Katryna Starks specializes in Serious Games Design, Interactive Narrative, and Game-Based Training Prototypes. 

NCPRE’s extensive experience in professional development, ethics, and research integrity programs further strengthens the project’s foundation. With over $11 million in grant funding and programs reaching thousands of researchers across disciplines, NCPRE has a proven track record of designing scalable, evidence-based professional development initiatives. Our leadership team has a depth of expertise, including our Director, C.K. Gunsalus, Professor Emerita and Research Professor, internationally recognized expert on ethics and leadership, author of the The Young Professional’s Survival Guide; Robert A. Easter, President Emeritus of the University of Illinois, with experience in roles including Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellor for Research, Dean, Department Head, and longtime faculty member; and Michael Dunne, Executive Producer of Media, a film and video professional with over fifteen years experience in production and post-production, including scriptwriting, cinematography, and editing, including the feature film A Tale of Two Labs. Other prominent members of our team include the Assistant Director, Senior Research Manager, Chief of Staff, and Online Curriculum Content Developer and User Experience Lead.

NCPRE's expertise spans initiatives such as the Principled Academic Leadership program, Labs That Work: For Everyone (LTW), and the Transforming Challenged Units (TCU) Consortium, all of which emphasize practical, research-driven approaches to fostering leadership, ethical decision-making, and effective teamwork. The LTW program, which includes the narrative film A Tale of Two Labs, serves as a foundational tool aimed at enhancing lab culture and collaboration. This proposed game expands on that work by following one of the film’s central characters as she transitions to a tenure-track position. Additionally, our sophisticated multimedia production capabilities and validated assessment tools ensure high-quality implementation and rigorous evaluation of the FMV game with high production value. This infrastructure supports the development of a polished, engaging, and impactful learning experience that integrates seamlessly with broader professional development efforts.