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LSUE hosts Esports Symposium and Master Class

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Posted at 5:43 PM, Feb 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-13 18:45:02-05

EUNICE, La. - LSU Eunice is hosting a two-day event designed to expose students to career opportunities in esports and to develop a pipeline for students interested in the competitive gaming industry. Dr. Marc Williams, LSUE's Distinguished Visiting Scholar, has partnered with top esports executives and the NBA 2 League to create LSUE's first Esports Symposium and Esports Master Class.

The Symposium was held Thursday, February 13 and the Master Class will start at 10 a.m. Friday, February 14. The Symposium was free and open to the public, while the Master Class is only open to LSUE students.

"Dr. Williams is one of the leading educators in esports in the world, and we are thrilled he is using his resources and platform to provide access and career opportunities in esports for our LSUE students," said Dr. Nancee Sorenson, Chancellor of LSUE. "The global gaming industry is expected to grow from $137 billion to $300 billion by 2025. Esports is growing at a rate of 40 percent a year and expected to reach over $2 billion by 2021. This kind of growth creates demand for professionals with the right mix of education, experience, and passion for the industry. LSUE has the opportunity for our students to be among the most competitive professionals competing for these jobs in the near future. Esports is poised to have a huge impact on the sports, business, and media industries, so it is impossible for educators to ignore. LSUE is positioned to be one of the leading community colleges in the nation to explore the academic side of esports, and we are READY for the challenge."

The Esports Symposium offered students a general introduction to esports and the video game industry, and featured minority industry trailblazers, including Tricia Sugita, recently named CEO for FlyQuest; Keisha Howard, Founder of Sugar Gamers, one of the leading companies focusing on diversity in gaming and technology, and Danny Martin, CEO & Co-Founder of Geekletes.

The Esports Master Class will consist of a six-hour workshop that will focus on the history, ecosystem, trends, career paths, and cultural impact of the NBA 2K League.

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LSUE to host Esports Symposium and Master Class