Bio

Jessie Contour is an educator, mentor, and leader. She is a full time Assistant Professor of Practice at UT teaching courses on immersive media, technical art, game development, alt ctrl/physical computing, and creative technology. Jessie Contour is also a designer and maker. Her process includes research, storytelling, rapid prototyping, collaboration and iteration. She has worked with AAA video game studios, museums, educational programs, and startups. Within these fields her focus has been on creating interactive experiences for art, play, and education. She has built digital tools for community engagement , designed a permanent exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History to teach children about earthquakes, and launched video games as part of a global team. In her spare time Jessie trains and competes in powerlifting on a national level. She's channeled this long time love of strength sports into opening Home Barbell Club, a gym for Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting, in North Austin.