Assistant Professor, Computer and Mathematical Sciences Department
Credentials:
Ph.D., Illinois Institute of Technology, 2001
M.S., Illinois Institute of Technology, 1992
B.S., Lewis University, 1991
Dana Dominiak earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. She has extensive experience programming graphical interfaces for energy analysis systems for institutions such as Argonne National Laboratory and the International Atomic Energy Agency. She was part of an internet start-up in the mid 90s, programming weather forecasting software which was later sold to the Weather Channel. In 1993, she started a video game development company, Webfoot Technologies, which she still runs to this day. In addition, she is the founder and C.E.O at Automate the World, a company that specializes in automation system programming.
In addition to degrees in Computer Science, Dana holds a degree in Fine Arts. By combining Fine Arts with computer graphics, her work in these fields extends to 25+ years of experience in the video game industry, including design, graphics, and programming of several of Nintendo’s and Atari’s best-selling games. Dr. Dominiak has also been able to apply her Fine Arts and computer graphics expertise to automation programming and designing GUIs for touch-panels and automation systems.
Video game experience includes programming and graphics on Webfoot’s most popular products such as the Dragon Ball Z® series of games for the Nintendo Gameboy Advance – including The Legacy of Goku®, The Legacy of Goku® II, Buu’s Fury®, Dragon Ball GT®: Transformations® and Dragon Ball Z® Taiketsu®. Other Nintendo titles include Hello Kitty®: Happy Party Pals®, My Little Pony®: The Runaway Rainbow®, My Little Pony®: Pinkie Pie’s Party® and various American Girl® games for the Nintendo DS. Over the years, Webfoot has enjoyed the success of several other best selling titles including 3D Frog Frenzy®, 3D Pinball Express® and many others. Many Lewis University students have worked on recent Webfoot titles including Activision’s The Legend of Korra®: A New Era Begins® and The Trash Pack® for the Nintendo 3DS, Anti-Opoly for Encore Software (Release Summer 2015, Steam online), and Hoyle® Card Games (Fall 2015, in stores everywhere).
Automation programming clients of Automate the World include NASA, Abbott Labs, The Art Institute of Chicago, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, The University of Chicago, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Wrigley Field, Aetna, Argonne National Laboratory, The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, The Minnesota Zoo, Hyatt Place, The University of Illinois, Purdue University, Notre Dame, American Airlines, American Medical Association, JP Morgan, Sapient, R&R Donnelly, Chicago Botanic Garden, Whole Foods, Chicago State University, American Family Insurance, Allstate, Loyola Law School, Toshiba and many, many others.
With extensive experience in software engineering, technology, management and business, Dr. Dominiak has brought her experience to the Lewis University classroom where she teaches such courses as Video Game Programming I and II, Computer Graphics, Computer Organization, Introduction to Robotics, Introduction to Computer Engineering and Advanced Communications and Networking. In addition to teaching, Dr. Dominiak helps with several STEM initiatives including Ada Lovelace Day which is an event sponsored by the Lewis University Womens Studies program, CATS, a program that teaches grade-school girls how to program video games using MIT’s Scratch programming tool, as well as hosting many STEM summer camp and other tours of Webfoot Technologies’ offices for grade school and high-school students. Dr. Dominiak serves on several Lewis University advisory boards, including the Computing and Mathematical Sciences Advisory Board, the Womens Studies Advisory Committee and the Father Spies Endowment Committee.
Dr. Dominiak’s primary objective is to advance the fields of Genetic Algorithms, Robotics and AI just enough to help Skynet come online and take over planet Earth.
Professional and Educational Interests:
Genetic Algorithms
Complex Adaptive Systems
Fine Arts
Automation
Artificial Intelligence
Digital Electronics
Computer Graphics
Video Games
Business Start-ups
Piano
Specialties:
Video game development, robotics, embedded systems