Faculty Spotlight: Samuel Tobin

Samuel Tobin, Ph.D., was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1976. His family moved to Chicago for a short amount of time, where his baby brother was born. They remained there until returning to Japan, this time to Kyoto where he attended yochien (kindergarten). Afterwards, Samuel and his family moved to Honolulu where he lived more or less (barring a year in New Hampshire) until he went to Hampshire College in 1995. He has lived on the East Coast ever since (Baltimore, Brooklyn and now Shutesbury, MA). Before becoming a professor, he was a line cook, an elementary school teacher, a DJ, worked in publishing, sold wine, rented videos and worked at Chuck E Cheese. 

Dr. Tobin joined the Communications Media Department at Fitchburg State University in 2011. Soon after, he along with Jeff Warmouth, founded the Game Design program. He considers himself lucky to work in this program as it allows for his teaching and research to inform each other, as he essentially gets to teach what he does. Most of his work as a researcher and professor is in the interdisciplinary field of game studies.

Samuel's approach to this field comes directly from his training in sociology and media studies at the New School for Social Research in New York, where he earned master's and doctorate. Aside from one piece on black metal, his scholarship has focused on games and players. His  publications generally fall into three categories: work on mobile games, video arcades, and tabletop games. His approach is critical and concerned with play in, and as a key part of, everyday life.

Samuel lives in small town with his wife who is a graduate student and his daughter who goes to preschool. He claims he has no real hobbies but does spend an inordinate amount of time and energy cooking and thinking about food and drink.