Hey, I'm Sam!

In 2021, I graduated from the University of Chicago with a joint MS in Computer Science and BA in Music. Since then, I've worked as a software engineer developing machine learning algorithms and helping non-technical users understand and use the results. While that work has given me a broad set of analytical and technical tools for detailed design work, working directly with clients has been just as important—it keeps me focused on who I'm designing for, what they need, and how to make their experience approachable.

Outside of work, I've been a gamer for as long as I can remember. From Super Mario Bros. on my grandma's old NES in China to nearly a decade of playing and watching League of Legends, games have been a constant in my life (Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy scores even helped inspire me to pursue a music degree!). I've felt firsthand how games bring people together, spark joy, and inspire us to live more connected lives.

I love making games, and in them I seek to reimagine familiar formats and ideas as whimsical experiences with an approachable amount of depth. Seeing diverse groups of people come together over games I've helped make and find that same joy and connection has been incredibly rewarding, and something I hope to continue doing for the rest of my life.