PIGEON
James D. Fielder, PhD. Political Scientist studying the politics of cyber-mediated spaces and game worlds
Studying politics in worlds that never were and worlds that cannot be, to better understand the politics of where we are now.
I research interpersonal trust and emergent political processes through cyber-based interaction, and through tabletop, live-action, and video gaming as natural experiments. I have over two decades of experience designing, executing, and assessing training exercises and wargames, from small-group tabletop discussions to multi-day exercises engaging 5,000+ participants.
Background
I earned my PhD in political science from The University of Iowa in 2012 and retired from the military in 2019 after 25 years of service as a Lieutenant Colonel, Associate Professor of Political Science, and International Relations Division Chief at the U.S. Air Force Academy. My full CV is available here.
I’m also a managing editor of Active Learning in Political Science, associate editor of Simulation & Gaming, on the editorial board of The MORS Journal of Wargaming, was a TEDxMileHigh speaker on games, and has been interviewed on game-related topics by Reuters, USA Today, and NBC News.
My military callsign (or nickname) Pigeon comes from no-kidding having pet pigeons, including one bird, Heathcliff, that I’ve had since 1996!
Where I Roost
In addition to being an Instructor of Political Science at Colorado State University, I also teach at Cherry Hill Seminary, am the Director of the Professional and Educational Gaming Division for roleplaying game company Mobius Worlds Publishing, and consult organizations using gaming techniques.
