Biography
Biography and Education: Gabriel A. Olson is an Associate Professor of Practice and the Video Game Major Coordinator at Texas State University. He joined the School of Art and Design in Fall 2025 to lead the creation and implementation of a new Bachelor of Science in Game Development. Gabriel holds an MFA in Film and Media Arts and a BS in Game and Art Design, a foundation that informs his dual expertise in visual aesthetics and interactive systems.
His professional background includes over 15 years of industry leadership, notably as a Senior Level Designer at Disney Interactive (Avalanche Software) where he shipped five AAA titles. Beyond level design, his industry career includes roles as a 3D artist for digital media, television commercials, and games at studios such as LAIKA/house and Metaversatility. This professional breadth allows him to bridge the gap between high-end visual asset creation and complex game logic.
Prior to his appointment at Texas State, Gabriel spent a decade at the University of Utah’s top-ranked Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) program. There, he served as a producer and mentor for MFA and MS capstone teams, guiding dozens of interdisciplinary student projects from initial concept to successful publication on market platforms like Steam. He also served as the Director of Game Studies and Design at the University of North Texas, where he directed the creation of their first major in video game design. Currently, he remains an active developer as the founder of WalterNet Games and Squash Creek Games, focusing on Unreal Engine 5 architecture through a hybrid of C++ and visual scripting.
His professional background includes over 15 years of industry leadership, notably as a Senior Level Designer at Disney Interactive (Avalanche Software) where he shipped five AAA titles. Beyond level design, his industry career includes roles as a 3D artist for digital media, television commercials, and games at studios such as LAIKA/house and Metaversatility. This professional breadth allows him to bridge the gap between high-end visual asset creation and complex game logic.
Prior to his appointment at Texas State, Gabriel spent a decade at the University of Utah’s top-ranked Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) program. There, he served as a producer and mentor for MFA and MS capstone teams, guiding dozens of interdisciplinary student projects from initial concept to successful publication on market platforms like Steam. He also served as the Director of Game Studies and Design at the University of North Texas, where he directed the creation of their first major in video game design. Currently, he remains an active developer as the founder of WalterNet Games and Squash Creek Games, focusing on Unreal Engine 5 architecture through a hybrid of C++ and visual scripting.
Research Interests
Research and Scholarly Interests: I engage in practice based research that explores the intersection of professional game production and academic curriculum. My scholarly interests center on the evolution of level design and 3D asset pipelines in the context of real time engine advancements. I am dedicated to investigating how interdisciplinary teams can leverage visual scripting and technical art to streamline the development of complex interactive narratives.
My work also examines the role of industry academic partnerships in shaping the next generation of the digital media workforce. By continuing to develop and publish original titles, I am able to research the practical challenges of modern game architecture and translate those findings directly into the classroom. I am particularly interested in the "producer" mindset in game education, exploring how student teams can achieve market ready publication standards through refined production management and interdisciplinary collaboration.
My work also examines the role of industry academic partnerships in shaping the next generation of the digital media workforce. By continuing to develop and publish original titles, I am able to research the practical challenges of modern game architecture and translate those findings directly into the classroom. I am particularly interested in the "producer" mindset in game education, exploring how student teams can achieve market ready publication standards through refined production management and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Teaching Interests
Teaching Interests: My teaching interests are centered on translating the high pressure workflows of AAA studios into a collaborative academic environment where students function as professional developers. I focus on a holistic approach to level design and 3D art, teaching students to see the game world as both a technical system and a visual masterpiece. My goal is to mentor students through the entire production cycle from initial blockout and environmental storytelling to final lighting and asset optimization within modern game engines. I prioritize the mastery of industry standard digital art pipelines, specifically 3D modeling and texturing, while ensuring those assets are seamlessly integrated with complex game logic.
I am particularly interested in the role of the technical artist and the producer in game education. My pedagogy emphasizes the use of visual scripting and modular design to create scalable and performant game worlds. In my capstone courses, I act as a studio lead to guide interdisciplinary teams as they build market ready portfolios and published titles. I also focus on the evolution of online instruction for the arts, researching how to deliver rigorous technical training in 3D art and level design through team based structures. By bridging the gap between creative expression and technical execution, I prepare my students to meet the diverse hiring needs of the modern game industry.
I am particularly interested in the role of the technical artist and the producer in game education. My pedagogy emphasizes the use of visual scripting and modular design to create scalable and performant game worlds. In my capstone courses, I act as a studio lead to guide interdisciplinary teams as they build market ready portfolios and published titles. I also focus on the evolution of online instruction for the arts, researching how to deliver rigorous technical training in 3D art and level design through team based structures. By bridging the gap between creative expression and technical execution, I prepare my students to meet the diverse hiring needs of the modern game industry.