Dr Maria Stukoff
School of Science, Engineering & Environment
Current positions
Maker Space Director
Biography
Dr. Maria Stukoff is the Director of the Maker Space at the University of Salford and a renowned leader in STEM education and digital innovation. With a prominent career that includes executive roles as Head of Digital at the BBC Academy and Head of PlayStation®First at Sony Interactive Entertainment, she brings invaluable industry expertise to the evolving landscape of digital education, gaming, and creative technology. She holds a PhD in mobile game design from Manchester Metropolitan University, where her research explored the confluence of art, design, and emerging technologies.
A passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and social change, Maria is dedicated to empowering the next generation of industry-ready talent through transformative education and dynamic industry partnerships- essential ingredients to positivity disrupt to ignite innovation. As a thought leader, mentor, and relentless tinkerer, she is committed to building playful, accessible ecosystems that inspire, elevate, and prepare STEM pioneers for a future of innovation and ingenuity and is currently curating the Unimaker Salford 2025 conference bringing together a diverse lineup of speakers to unlock the impact of Maker Spaces.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mstukoff/
https://makerspace.salford.ac.uk/
Areas of Research
Video games, equity in makerspaces and STEM industries, makerspace pedagogy, immersive worlds, graphic design and architecture.
I do not directly teach but am active as a student mentor and deliver topic-specific talks at conferences and festivals
Qualifications
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PhD Mobile and Wireless Networks as Public Art Interfaces
2004 - 2007 -
MA Creative Technology
1999 - 2000