Presented by Jake Leachman (Mechanical Engineering) 

We’ve all said or heard the statement, “I know, just play the game.” But why? We seem stuck in a tragic battle pitting our own personal values against the gamified metrics deemed by our society as important. As a former NCAA football player who suffered a career ending injury, Jake Leachman experienced the thrills, shills, and even pills of playing the game. Now as a professor in mechanical engineering, Leachman coaches student teams to compete successfully in an increasing number of technology innovation competitions. So he asks the question: are metrics and games the future of the Collegiate experience? Or is this a never-ending arms race? As we endeavor to play the game, to be the top student and the top public research university, will we end up winning like in Ready Player One? Verification of attendance available.