Academic Spotlight: Max Callahan, Associate Dean of Game Programs

Max Callahan has always been creative, and as an artistic kid growing up, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Arts (Art/Film) from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Digital Design from Philadelphia University. Today, he brings his creative background into higher education as associate dean, overseeing game art and development programs at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

Recently, Callahan shared insights into his path into higher education, the experiences that shaped him and the work that continues to inspire him.

Can you tell us about your professional background?

I began my career working as an art director and storyboard artist in the film industry in Los Angeles before transitioning to a character artist in the visual effects and game development industries. I then began teaching as an adjunct at various on-ground and online institutions before landing at SNHU in 2016.

What first drew you to higher education?

I began teaching as an adjunct in Philadelphia while I was working at an animation studio, and I fell in love with teaching.

What aspects of your own education have been influential in shaping your career in academia?

In film school, I had the opportunity to work with teams of fellow classmates to make films in various roles, and those experiences, for me, were the most instructive and beneficial to my future career because they mirrored what I would be doing in the industry.

That’s always a challenge in online education, but one of the features of the new BS in Game Design and Development (BS.GAM) program we will launch in the fall is two studio courses where we will form teams of students to conceptualize, design and produce playable game prototypes.

So, that’s very exciting for us because now that we will be introducing a concentration in game design to go along with game art and game programming, we can simulate for students the experience of working on a game development team and producing a tangible game from concept all the way through a finished production.

What attracted you to this field of study? What keeps you excited about it?

The opportunity to be creative in (a) way that marries creativity with technology has always been appealing to me, and certainly the opportunity to work with other talented people on a shared vision.

Making a game is an incredibly collaborative undertaking, and it requires people with very disparate but symbiotic skills and talents working together towards a single goal: to make a fun game that people will want to play. I love being a part of that, and I love working in a team environment.

How have you found ways to effectively connect with students?

We have amazing advisors here at SNHU, and they really help to connect the deans with students and their goals and passions and certainly their concerns as well.

What brings you the greatest joy in your work at SNHU?

This current development of the new BS in Game Design & Development that will launch in the fall. I have been working towards this goal for nearly a decade since I began as a lead faculty in graphic design back in 2016 and I was tasked with running the game art & development program that was a part of the liberal arts department back then.

The program and I moved to STEM in 2020 when I became associate dean, and we began this development back then, but it was deferred due to COVID. But now we are finally getting ready to launch, and I’m extremely excited to provide what I think will be a vastly improved experience with our game students.

What do you feel is unique about the faculty and students you work with?

I think our faculty do an amazing job of helping our students to learn some very challenging material. The industry and especially the technology change so rapidly in this field, and our adjuncts impress me with how well they can adjust to those changes.

Our students often come to the game programs because they have a passion for playing games, but playing games is a whole different animal than making games. But I love that so many of our students have that passion for games as the foundation of their desire to get these degrees, and I think that makes our students unique.

Students choose degrees for a variety of reasons, but when they have that passion underpinning their choice, it really helps to make the challenges feel worth it.

What does SNHU’s mission to transform the lives of learners mean to you?

I feel like SNHU serves a population of students that can sometimes be left behind due to the expense and structure of traditional terrestrial colleges and universities, and I have a strong connection to that.

I grew up with friends that didn’t get the chance to pursue secondary education for those reasons, and as an artistic kid with artistic friends, a lot of them had talent that they were never able to turn into careers. So I hope I can play some role into helping students like some of those friends find a way to find a rewarding career that serves their talents and passions.

Outside of work, what’s something you’re passionate about or really enjoy doing?

I love animals, and so I do a lot of volunteering with animal organizations. I’m also a tennis nut, and I still do figure drawing in my free time when I can find some.

Alexa Gustavsen ’21 '26G is a content marketing specialist and writer at Southern New Hampshire University. Based in New Hampshire, she completed her bachelor's in creative writing and English on campus at SNHU. She also earned a master's in marketing from the university. Connect with her on LinkedIn.