Nikki Dunsire

Nikki Dunsire is a seasoned production artist and educator with more than two and a half decades of industry experience and 18 years in higher education. She currently serves as Senior Lecturer and Director of Studies for the Game Arts program in the School of Product Design at the University of Canterbury. Her professional expertise spans 3D production, motion graphics, visual effects (VFX), game art, and technical direction.

Nikki holds a diverse academic background that bridges art and computer science, including a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media Studies (Minor in Art & Design) from the University of Denver, a Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Animation from The Art Institute of Portland, and a Master of Science in Computer Science with a specialization in 3D Technical Direction and Development from DePaul University in Chicago.

Nikki’s career journey began as a web developer and Production Coordinator, ultimately leading her to the role of 3D Technical Director at Animation Dynamics Inc. (ADi). During this phase of her career, she collaborated with technology firms, game and application developers, independent filmmakers, and Fortune 500 companies, becoming an expert in a wide range of 3D production specialties and Visual Effects (VFX).

In 2008, Nikki began teaching while still working in industry, instructing an advanced 3D lighting and texturing course at The Art Institute of Portland. That initial experience grew into a full-time academic career, including roles at the University of Oregon and the Oregon Reality Lab, where she served as Career Faculty and Oregon Reality Lab Manager. Across her teaching career, she has developed and delivered 50+ courses at institutions including The Art Institute of Portland, Washington State University, Portland State University, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Clackamas Community College, and the University of Oregon, in addition to her current work at the University of Canterbury. She has also contributed as a career advisor, academic department director, and coach for The Art Institute of Portland’s inaugural eSports team.

Nikki’s commitment to student growth is reflected in alumni outcomes, with former students working at studios and organizations such as Blizzard Entertainment, SuperGenius Studio, Sony Entertainment, Bungie, EA Games, 343 Industries, Liquid Development, Hinge Digital, LAIKA and more.

In 2016, she contributed to a grant team awarded the Microsoft Hololens Academic Research Grant in partnership with Clackamas Community College and Oregon Storyboard, supporting the development of augmented reality applications for trade-based education. The other recipients included Carnegie Mellon, Dartmouth, Virgina Tech, and UC Berkeley.

In advance of the 2022 World Athletics Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, Nikki expanded her Introduction to Motion Graphics course into a studio-style production experience culminating in a 30‑second opening title sequence competition for global broadcast. Serving as instructor, executive producer, collaborator, and production artist, she helped structure the project to mirror professional practice while also building a backup option alongside students. One student’s sequence was selected for broadcast, while another earned a World Athletics internship the following summer, later receiving Capstone Project of the Year recognition for work developed across Nikki’s Motion Graphics and Immersive Media production courses.

In 2024, Nikki contributed rigged and animated assets for Otter Rock: Beneath the Surface, produced by a cross-disciplinary team of University of Oregon graduate and doctoral students through the Snap AR Scholars program (led by Danny Pimentel) in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. In addition to her production contribution, she supported the team by training many of the production artists on the project, through her immersive media and 3D production courses. The project was nominated for the 2025 Auggie Awards in the Best Societal Impact category.

Nikki is a SIGGRAPH Pioneer member, a former board member of the Cascade SIGGRAPH chapter, a member and one of four founders of the Portland, Oregon chapter of Women in Animation, and a member of ASIFA. She is driven by a strong commitment to environmental conservation, animal rights, and social justice, and she actively seeks projects that combine storytelling craft with meaningful impact.