Tom Penney

Background

About Tom Penney

Dr Tom Penney is the Head of Program, Bachelor of Design (Games) at RMIT University. He has 12 years' experience in the tertiary education sector. He was previously a lecturer and Industry Fellow in Digital Media at RMIT, as well as a sessional academic in Games and Digital Media. Most recently he was responsible for change management and leadership in the Games program leading a team of seven other mid-career and senior academics through RMIT's Curriculum Architecure Review. Before that, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis he lead this same team through the five-year program review and updated Games’ structure based on student data, industry trends, and to match its new sister offering at RMIT Vietnam. His teaching and design of educational studios has focused on agile skills development across digital interaction, immersive environments, experience design, media art and 3D imaging. This involves technical as well as soft skills, work-integrated-learning and critical theory. Tom’s contemporary arts practice involved 3D imaging, cross-reality (virtual and augmented reality) games technology and digital design. He was one of the first contemporary artists in Australia to use 3D photogrammetry, laser-scanning and the game engine Unity3D for critical and experimental artistic purposes in post-internet and post-digital contexts. His PhD research project “Critical Affection” developed an expanded notion of "critical play" and “affection-image” in digital media and games through contemporary art practice. Much of this drew on a series of artworks that critically represented gay online dating apps. Tom previously worked in an augmented reality fashion company, as well as teaching art and design at Curtin and Monash Universities.