Benjamin Stokes Associate Professor Communication Studies

Degrees: PhD in Communication, University of Southern California (USC); BA in Physics, Haverford College
Bio: Benjamin Stokes is a civic media scholar, game designer, and director of The Playful City Lab. He is chair/division director in Communication Studies within the School of Communication at American University, where he is also an Associate Professor. Benjamin is a fellow at the AU Game Center and the Metropolitan Policy Center.

Previously, Benjamin co-founded Games for Change, the movement hub for advancing social change with games. At the MacArthur Foundation prior to academia, Benjamin was a program officer in their portfolio on Digital Media and Learning. Benjamin has also worked at the UC Berkeley School of Information as a postdoctoral scholar in data science. Design experience in civil society includes leading teams at NetAid/Mercy Corps in global citizenship education.

His recent book is Locally Played: Real-World Games for Stronger Places and Communities (MIT Press, 2020).

Students considering our PhD Program, MA in Media, Technology and Democracy, or MA/MFA in Game Design and Interactivity are encouraged to be in touch. Recent collaborations with students include projects on neighborhood storytelling networks, place-based games, participatory design, and play that strengthens cities and communities.

See Also: My lab: the Playful City Lab; My book: Locally Played; Professional Website for Prof. Stokes
For the Media: To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.; AU Experts

Teaching