Ian Horswill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Northwestern Engineering. His research ventures into the realms of artificial intelligence, focusing on augmenting the expressive potential of computational media, particularly in games and interactive narratives. He investigates alternative genres and interaction modes that afford new kinds of experiences typically catered to digital games, with an emphasis on the aesthetics of experiences that promote identification, empathy, affiliation, mastery, and control. His recent work has concentrated on building declarative programming systems that artists and designers can utilize to create generative systems. Declarative programming enables designers to specify desired outcomes for generated artifacts through bespoke algorithms, such as character personalities and backstories, crucial for gaming experiences. His approach contrasts with generative methods reliant on machine learning and Markov models, as constraint-based systems ensure the production of coherent characters. With a strong educational background, Horswill holds a Ph.D. and S.M. in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).