The Division of Games marked a meaningful milestone with a ribbon-cutting, recognizing the opening and dedication of Kessler Station for Student Success, a new undergraduate advising hub. Named in memory of Bob Kessler, one of the founders of the Division of Games. Designed as a tribute to Kessler’s vision and his commitment to student success, the space reflects the program’s continued investment in students. As a central home for advisors, peer mentors, and tutors supporting undergraduate students, Kessler Station blends purpose with creativity, featuring vibrant walls, comfortable collaborative seating, and flexible work pods that foster connection, innovation, and growth.
Miranda Klausmeier, the Division’s inaugural manager of the Kessler Station, highlights the value of the space for their students.
“Students come here, and they can see that they can be who they are and still succeed and go places. Bob understood that one size does not fit all. That there is not one path to creating a game or being successful.”
Commemorating Bob Kessler
Naming the space the Kessler Station for Student Success was a tribute to Bob Kessler’s enduring legacy. The Division of Games would not exist without his vision and ambition in the field of game development. In 2007, he started games-specific teaching on campus with an undergraduate games emphasis in both the School of Computing and the Department of Film and Media Arts. By 2010, the teaching activity in games had grown into the Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) program, an interdisciplinary teaching program on campus, with its own master’s degree. In 2017, EAE’s academic programs expanded further with the addition of the BS in Games degree. In 2023, EAE transitioned into the Division of Games, embracing a new future in research, academics, and scholarship, and in 2024, the Division was welcomed into its new administrative home within the College of Architecture and Planning.
Over the years, the Division of Games has consistently ranked among the top five video game design programs in the world and has been named the number one public university in game design five times, including the last three years in a row. Kessler’s forward-thinking approach to game design education set the pace and direction for the division’s success. As Dr. R. Michael Young, chair of the division, notes, Kessler’s vision had a profound and lasting impact on the program.
“None of it would exist without his vision. His tenacity, his remarkable ability across campus. This means so much to us, and it will make a difference in so many students’ lives.”
Kessler Station is one of two major space developments for the Division, alongside the recently opened space for graduate education and research in City Centre, a 23,000-square-foot space in downtown Salt Lake City. The new facility provides expanded opportunities for design, collaboration, and innovation among faculty, staff, and students. {Read the story here}. As the Division continues to grow its offerings, it remains committed to honoring the people who shaped its foundation, celebrating its students, and maintaining the spirit of creativity and innovation that lends to the Division’s progress and impact.
To learn more about the Division of Games, visit their website here.