Reading, and writing ... and Warcraft III?

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

In the groves of academe where chalky pedagogues wear out bad tweed jackets and write windy dissertations on such subjects as Sanskrit history and the importance of the oboe, titles can be a bit of challenge: What, for example, do you call digital artists and multimedia types who are brought in to instruct students in the art of creating and developing interactive media games?

At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, or WPI, a visiting game designer and digital artist will be called "professors of practice," a rather airy job description that would seem to cover a lot of ground, both online and off.

In any event, WPI said in a press release: "Brian Moriarty, an award-winning game designer, creative director, and multimedia producer, and Britton Snyder, a digital artist whose work has appeared in such best-selling games as Warcraft III, Diablo II, and WALL-E will join WPI's groundbreaking Interactive Media and Game Development (IMGD) program this fall as professors of practice. Launched in 2005, the IMGD program was the first in the nation to blend the artistic and technical aspects of game creation."

The press release included a statement from Mark Claypool, professor of computer science and director of the IMGD program.

"Brian and Britt bring a wealth of knowledge to WPI," Claypool said. "Here, they will be able to teach aspiring game designers and artists how the game industry works and what is required to ship profitable and fun games. Their practical, industry-tested insights will complement the solid education students in our program receive in the principles of developing games and other interactive media."