Kathleen Mercury

Kathleen Mercury, M.A.T., M.E.T., is a respected educator and game designer. The breadth of her work includes teaching gifted middle school students, exploring game design, RPG design, cosplay, filmmaking, and other innovative subjects. Additionally, she also serves as a Lecturer at the School of Education at California Polytechnic Humboldt where she instructs methods courses and supervises student teachers. She has been leveraging design thinking to intertwine game design and instruction across various educational levels for over two decades.

Mercury is not just confined to the classroom; she extends her influence to the broader gaming community. She is an integral part of Geekway to the West, a large-scale game convention in Saint Louis, MO, focusing on game design events. Moreover, she is a published tabletop game designer with her work "Greece Lightning" (2021) and the forthcoming titles "Tulip Season" and "Valkyrie". She often collaborates with education and game industry professionals to develop innovative experiences and instruction, with a client list that includes Riot Games, Catan Studio, and Guardian Adventures.

Notably, Mercury maintains a website where she generously shares her game design teaching resources for free, aiding educators and enthusiasts around the globe. As a podcast host and guest, she lends her voice to the school side of the Games in Schools and Libraries, On Board Games, and On RPGs, spreading her knowledge beyond physical boundaries. Her Lightning Game Design Jam is a popular feature at conferences such as Tabletop Network and GenCon Trade Day. Mercury believes in the power of crafting one's own life and feels fortunate to have accomplished that in her own unique way.