Acknowledgments

Even though my name might be the only one on the cover, this book simply would not have been possible without the help and support of many other individuals. I’d first like to thank my mom and dad for their support throughout the years as I pursued my education and then career. I’d also like to thank my sister Nita for going along with all the crazy and creative things we did when we were younger, and for providing great advice when we became older.

The team at Pearson also has been a pleasure to work with throughout the writing process. It starts with Laura Lewin, my executive editor, who has backed the premise of the book since day one. She and assistant editor Olivia Basegio have provided very useful guidance throughout the writing process. The editorial and production teams, especially Chris Zahn, have also been stellar in helping make the book ready for production, including art, copy editing, and typesetting.

I also want to acknowledge the technical reviewers who blocked time out of their busy schedules to help ensure the accuracy of the book—Alexander Boczar, Dustin Darcy, and Jeff Wofford. Their feedback has been invaluable, and I’m confident that the book is technically sound because of it.

My colleagues at USC, especially those in the Information Technology Program, have really shaped who I am as an instructor. I’d especially like to thank the current director of the department, Michael Crowley, as well as the director who first hired me as a part-time lecturer, Ashish Soni. I’d also like to thank Michael Zyda for establishing and leading the Computer Science (Games) program at USC. My lab assistants over the years, most notably Xin Liu and Paul Conner, have also been immensely helpful.

Finally, I’d like to thank Jason Gregory for his mentorship that dates back almost ten years. Without his guidance, I may have never ended up in the game industry, and almost certainly would never have ended up following in his footsteps and teaching at USC. He has taught me so much about games and teaching games over the years, and for that I’m grateful.