Rate My Professor Samantha Gorman

Samantha Gorman is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Computational Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz's Baskin School of Engineering. Holding a PhD in Media Arts and Practice from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts and an MFA from Brown University's Literary Arts program, Gorman brings extensive expertise in interdisciplinary arts and technology to her teaching and research. Her practice-based research centers on interactive narrative, games, digital performance and theater, and immersive media technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). As co-lead of the art and games studio Tender Claws since 2014, she has spearheaded innovative projects that blend critical narratives with user experience design, often exploring speculative futures and providing research and development for platforms like Google and Meta. These efforts make critical, creative interventions in form and technology while serving as commercially released entertainment.

Tender Claws, co-led by Gorman, has launched projects on nearly every major immersive media platform and garnered coverage in The New York Times, Vice, BBC radio, The Verge, Forbes, Wired, The LA Times, and Engadget. Notable works include PRY (2015), selected as one of Apple’s 25 best apps; Virtual, Virtual Reality (VVR, 2017), winner of the Google Play Award for Best VR Experience, Unity Awards finalist, and Raindance Best VR Game and Best Mobile VR; Tendar (2018), an AR sentiment analysis game premiered at Sundance New Frontier; The Under Presents (2019-2020), nominated for SXSW Gaming Award and a Juried Award finalist for an Emmy in Innovation; Tempest, nominated for a DICE award; Stranger Things VR (launched 2024 in partnership with Netflix and Meta); and Face Jumping (2025), winner of the XR Experience audience award at South by Southwest. Gorman received the 2023-24 Excellence in Teaching Award at UC Santa Cruz. Her expertise spans digital arts, performance, virtual and augmented reality environments, digital humanities, writing, theater direction, literature, video games, game design, game studies, and new media, significantly impacting immersive storytelling in academia and industry.