Stacey Simmons, Ph.D.

CCT Associate Director for Economic Development

Stacey Simmons is the CCT's first Associate Director for Economic Development. In this position, Simmons works with CCT leadership to create new industry partnerships and look for opportunities to pair University resources with companies like Electronic Arts, Inc. that could benefit from relationships with higher education.

Stacey Simmons has been a member of CCT since its inception in 2003. Her research interests relate to digital media and animation, and she created the Red Stick International Animation Festival, an annual event CCT hosts to highlight the links among science, art and technology, with Beck in 2005.

For the past two years, Simmons has led the Baton Rouge Area Digital Industries Consortium, a partnership among LSU and state and city partners to lure digital media businesses to the capital area. Simmons’ work through the consortium was instrumental in convincing Electronic Arts, Inc. to locate its North American video game testing and quality control center on LSU’s south campus. The company announced plans in August 2008 to locate in Louisiana and create jobs for LSU students who seek careers in the video game industry.