Our Team

The MRC Studio has assembled a team of experienced academics and practitioners to lead its applied research efforts.  The primary research team reports to the Dean of the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and oversees a large group of research assistants who are hired from Durham College’s student body.

John Goodwin is the lead researcher for the MRC Studio and full-time professor and program coordinator for the Game Art program.  Goodwin earned his Master of Education from University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and has over 17 years of experience in adult education, project management and curriculum development. Additionally, Goodwin brings over eight years of applied research experience working with the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to engage business partners on multiple funded projects. To ensure that students have the best functioning equipment and technologies, he also works with IT services to specify and test lab equipment for the two dedicated Game Art labs. As a result of his rich expertise and leadership, Goodwin has been recognized for his accomplishments, most recently for building the MRC Studio. 

E: John.Goodwin@durhamcollege.ca
T: 905.721.2000 ext. 3636

Ryan Miller is Project Manager at the MRC Studio. His role is to plan, organize, and direct the successful completion of applied research projects while cultivating strong relationships between DC, it's students, other academic institutions, and external stakeholders. Ryan is a technical artist and programmer who has worked in games and animation since 2007. A long-time Unity developer, Ryan holds the company's highest certification "Unity Certified Expert" in addition to his Advanced Diploma in Computer Animation from DC. He has been an occasional instructor the Game Art and Animation programs at DC, as well as Chair of the Game Art & Animation Program Advisory Committee. In 2015 he founded local game studio "Reptoid Games", which in 2017 won the Ubisoft Indie Series Grand Prize and enjoyed a successful Kickstarter campaign. His past game titles are spread across many game consoles and platforms, including Krog (2012), World of Peppa Pig (2017), Fossil Hunters (2018), Mundaun (2021) and Fire Tonight (2021). He is passionate about empowering small teams to do their best work, and believes great things can be built on time, on budget, and without crunch.

E: Ryan.Miller@durhamcollege.ca

Matthew Grabinsky is a professor in the Game Art program and researcher in the MRC Studio. Grabinsky holds a Bachelor of Communication Technology from University of Toronto and a Master of Education from University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and has over 15 years of experience in the field of animation. Additionally, Grabinsky brings over 13 years of teaching experience delivering lessons in Game Development and Animation to more than two hundred students. He has extensive knowledge of modeling, texturing, lighting and animation in Maya. He designed a curriculum for over 1000 students in all areas of Communication Technology and evaluated their performance. He also played an instrumental role in developing the MRC studio.

E: Matthew.Grabinsky@durhamcollege.ca
T: 905.721.2000 ext. 3640

Edin Ibric is a professor in the Game Art program and researcher in the MRC Studio.  Ibrick holds a Master of Education from University of Ontario Institute of Technology and has over 19 years of experience in animation and curriculum development. Additionally, Ibrick brings over 12 years of teaching experience instructing hundreds of students in the art of computer animation, visual effects for film and television, as well as the creation of assets such as characters and environments for video games. He has rich expertise and knowledge of applied software related to Maya, Zbrush, Flash, Substance Painter, Marmoset Toolbag, Marui, Illustrator and Photoshop. He works with fellow professors, support staff and leadership teams in order to develop curriculum that meets the standards within the growing industry. Notably, Ibrick is an active member of Animation and Games Advisory Board.

E: Edin.Ibric@durhamcollege.ca
T: 905.721.2000 ext. 3634

Vibha Tyagi is the Manager, Applied Research Partnerships for the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. With a PhD in Plant Biochemistry and Physiology from the University of Rajasthan, India, Tyagi provides expertise in the development of collaborative applied research projects through diagnostic assessments, market research, proposal writing and project management.  Tyagi has managed many applied research projects including some of the first Mixed Reality projects at DC.

E: Vibha.tyagi@durhamcollege.ca
T: 905.721.2000 ext. 2867