Kira Bohunicky Email & Phone Number

Gainesville, Florida, United States

At the Litterbox, I continue to write, research, create, and circulate work in the areas of critical game studies (race, gender, sexuality, labor), queer theory, rhetoric and composition, feminist theory, and media studies. I was honored to present an invited talk on my research on ecosexuality in video games at Utrecht University. I am also at work on chapter drafts for a monograph with two chapters currently drafted and an outline/pitch for the project. In addition to writing, I am exploring non-traditional and hybrid education formats through live-streaming, video production, and hosting academic-ish conversations on platforms like Twitch. Recently, I had the great pleasure of co-hosting an extended stream with the developer and the artist of the award-winning Umurangi Generation on postcolonial and indigenous game design for the ecological apocalypse and the end of capitalism. Finally, I manage, document, and inventory a large private collection of old software and technology (computers, consoles, video games, etc.) for a local establishment.Looking forward, I am (slowly!) returning to game design and have begun tinkering in UE5 on a project about trans experience.

At the Research Development division in the Office of Research, I supported research across the university by consulting with faculty on pre-award preparation. My tasks included researching and communicating with Federal organizations and Foundations to market current funding opportunities. I was also involved with data gathering and analysis to effectively correlate and connect faculty expertise and qualifications with appropriate funding opportunities. I provided comprehensive reviews (editing and writing) of faculty proposals and related materials (letters, bio-sketches, etc.) for submission, and I oversaw data management and documentation of proposal submissions for department metrics and historic reference.In addition to my work on external funding opportunities, I also managed and marketed several internal seed funding competitions for UF including the "Research Opportunity Seed Fund," the "Space Research Initiative," and the "Advancing Racial Justice Seed Fund." Building and running these multi-million dollar funding competitions involved numerous tasks including: writing and revising RFPs for internal competitions and ensuring timely distribution via UF Research website and through university ADRs to maximize competition visibility; building competition pages and submission portals using Infoready software; researching and recruiting faculty to serve on proposal review committees; requesting and compiling written proposal reviews from faculty to document reviewer decisions; coordinating and hosting review committee meetings to select awardees; finally, distributing funding notifications to applicants and internal UF offices.Beyond these responsibilities, I attended relevant research funding conferences and meetings to ensure consistency in departmental operations and to help innovate techniques for improving and optimizing various department functions with colleagues.

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Teacher, researcher, creative, and admin working at the intersections of game studies, rhetoric and communication, media studies, and race and gender studies. Offered numerous classes in traditional, hybrid (in-person and live online), and asynchronous (pre-recorded) classroom formats. Course offerings included both critical and creative courses in the theory and design of video games, communication practices and rhetorical strategies for digital contexts, and interactive storytelling across media. Designed a university-wide general education course on the topic of play. Served as Coordinator of Pedagogy, providing both instructional design and teaching mentorship. Maintained a consistent output of funded projects and research on interactive representations and performances of gender, sexuality, race, and disability in and through video games. Finally, directed and co-created a weekly live-stream on Twitch featuring video game artists, developers, and researchers playing games and discussing their work as it relates to broader social and cultural issues.Track record of publications, creative work, and high student evaluations earned a strong recommendation for tenure during my third-year Tenure and Promotion review. Unfortunately, as an individual with a single kidney and associated health concerns, I was forced to prioritize my health and resigned from this position during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic due to ongoing complications with securing ADA accommodations for mandated in-person classes.