The keynote speaker was Karen Alkoby, associate professor at Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C. The workshop focused on ways that students could create compelling video games for deaf or hearing-impaired students using GameMaker software.

At the beginning of the day, Gallaudet students Dana Harman and Glen Keith gave a presentation. CMU doctoral students Gabi Marcu of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and Kenny Joseph of the Institute for Software Research gave participants an introduction to GameMaker.

Students learned the software's basic features, then created their own games and worked on marketing strategies. Projects were demonstrated at the end of the day and students also discussed how computer science applications can be created by --- and benefit --- the deaf and hearing-impaired population.

The workshop at CMU's Gates and Hillman Centers on the Pittsburgh campus was sponsored by the School of Computer Science, Women@SCS and the University of Washington's  AccessComputing.

About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. For more, see www.cmu.edu.