Derek Manns

Derek Manns is the Founder and Creative Director of Sungura Games, LLC, a development think tank focused on innovative and interactive media since April 2009. In addition, Derek serves as Course Director at Full Sail University, overseeing curriculum in Game Design, Level Design, Coding, and 3D Modeling since September 2020. Past roles include Adjunct Professor at The Art Institutes and Adjunct Faculty at Southern New Hampshire University, teaching Game Development courses, as well as an IT Consultant at Joint Enterprise Technologies, LLC. Derek's earlier teaching experience includes positions at Prairie View A&M University and DeVry University, covering subjects like Creative Thinking and Project Management. Notable industry experience includes Level Designer at Gearbox Software, contributing to projects for major gaming platforms, and a background in sales at EB Games. Derek holds a PhD in Text & Technology from the University of Central Florida and multiple degrees in Computer Science and Information Systems Management.