Rate My Professor Danuda Jayawardena

Jayawardena is a graduate of the University of Otago, having completed a degree in Psychology with distinction, as noted in the 2025 graduands list. His full name appears as Danuda Damsara Wijeratne Jayawardena. During his studies, he majored in Psychology and Computer Science, as indicated in student society announcements. He conducted a research project titled 'Examining the moderating effects of parenting stress on the relations between ADHD symptoms and child functioning,' supervised by Dione Healey in the Psychology department. This graduate work explored the unique contribution of parenting stress to children's social and academic functioning beyond ADHD symptom severity.

In 2022, as part of the COSC360 Computer Game Design paper offered during summer school, Jayawardena contributed to the development of the game 'Saviour of the Lamb' as the artist and animator, collaborating with primary programmer Daniel Robinson and secondary programmer and game designer Will Rushton. The game involves escorting a lost lamb named Lucy back to the farm while defending her from a cult intending to sacrifice her. Jayawardena described the paper as a full-time commitment suitable for those interested in game development, while expressing his intention to pursue a career in Psychology.