Educational Gaming Innovator McGonigal Earns Standing Ovation In Portland

A CROWD OF MORE THAN 500 ATTEND MCGONIGAL'S LECTURE AT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International gaming expert Dr. Jane McGonigal received a standing ovation from an audience of more than 500 last night at Concordia University in Portland, Ore.

In her first lecture in Oregon, Dr. McGonigal demonstrated the positive power of gaming by engaging attendees in "massive multi-player thumb wrestling." Audience players experienced first-hand her concept of how gaming can contribute to creating what McGonigal calls a "super-powered hopeful individual."

Using real examples of games she has created, like Evoke and Find the Future, she provided research and results on how gaming can have widespread positive impacts to increase creativity, self-motivation, resiliency, problem solving, teamwork and collaboration. McGonigal encouraged others to join her in creating games for education and social change at www.Gameful.org.

Guests at the Thursday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. lecture on Gaming for Education and Social Change included students of all ages, K-12 educators, professors, gamers, technology industry executives and community members and leaders from across the city and region, including Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith.

The event continues Concordia's leadership in bringing high-profile keynote speakers to Portland to inspire innovation in education, including Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children's Zone last spring 2012 and Salman Khan of Khan Academy coming up on Feb. 5, 2013.  For more information about Salman Khan's visit Feb. 5, visit www.cu-portland.edu/vale.

The program opened with remarks by event sponsor Hotchalk's president and CEO Edward Fields and Concordia University President Charles Schlimpert who is in his 30^th year in his role as the longest-standing university president in Oregon.

President Schlimpert emphasized Concordia's ongoing passion to prepare transformation leaders – now more than 3,000 in Portland and Bend, Ore., its School of Law in Boise, Idaho, and online around the world – through rigorous academics, faculty-student relationships, and real-life service learning experiences in the Lutheran, liberal arts tradition.

For more about Dr. Jane McGonigal and the event, visit www.cu-portland.edu/jane. For more about Concordia University and its mission to prepare leaders for the transformation of society visit www.cu-portland.edu.

CONTACT:
Madeline Turnock
503-803-3729
[email protected]

SOURCE Concordia University