Esports Program Coordinator
Dr. Ray Pastore
Associate Professor
Watson College of Education
pastorer@uncw.edu
Dr. Pastore has a background in game design, game-based learning, management consulting and instructional design. He earned his Ph.D. in Instructional Systems including a minor in Educational Psychology from Penn State University in 2008. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Instructional Technology Program while serving as the Program Coordinator of the Esports certificate program and Online Teaching and Learning minor at UNCW.
In addition to serving as coordinator of the new Esports programs, Dr. Pastore is faculty advisor for UNCW’s Seahawk Esports Club. He has worked on projects for Fortune 100 companies, the military and a myriad of schools and universities. Dr. Pastore also runs a technology YouTube channel which has over 4 million views.
Dr. Pastore’s background in gaming began in the early 1980s when he started playing Atari at the age of 3! His passion for video games continued through adolescence and adulthood. He enjoys many games (consoles, handhelds, and computers) and competing in-game tournaments.
Professionally, Dr. Pastore has:
- Designed games and simulations for both corporate and military clients
- Published peer-review research articles on gaming
- Taught courses on game and simulation design
Currently, Dr. Pastore’s favorite games include League of Legends, Halo, Minecraft, Overwatch and Valorant.
Learn more about Dr. Pastore