About

Hey, I’m Hanna and I like to do hard things.

I’m a master’s student at the University of Waterloo, where I research tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and computational creativity. My current research interests lie in video games, interactive narratives, and human-computer interaction.

My family has affectionately dubbed me a “master of libraries and dungeons.” I earned my MLIS from the University of Western Ontario, where I studied the information behaviour of TTRPG players navigating fictional worlds. Beyond research, I have a deep love for storytelling. I’ve been a game master for five years, running Dungeons & Dragons games for both longtime friends and brand-new players.

I’m a lover of logic puzzles, climbing plastic rocks, and walking long distances in the forest alone. I find joy in solving problems and telling stories, whether through writing, research, or gameplay. At my core, I’m curious about how stories can change people, and how technology can help facilitate those stories.

There’s always another adventure worth going on.

CV

You can download my CV here.

Education

MMath in Computer Science, University of Waterloo

  • Thesis Area: Human-AI Interaction, Computational Creativity, Tabletop Role-Playing Games
  • Supervisor(s): Dan Brown, Ana Crisan

Expected 2026


MLIS, University of Western Ontario

  • Research Project: Information Behaviour of Gaming Communities and Tabletop Role-Playing Gamers
  • Supervisor: Paulette Rothbauer

2023 - 2024


BSc in Computer Science, University of Western Ontario

  • Thesis: Leveraging GANs in Automated Music Composition
  • Supervisor: Mike Katchabaw

2018 - 2022

Publications

Arseneau, R., & Dodd, H. (2025). Open Access & Scholarly Communication Habits in LIS. Emerging Library & Information Perspectives, 7(1). doi.org/10.5206/elip.v7i1.22241

Conference Presentations

Dodd, H. (2025). Sentiment Analysis of Tabletop Role-Playing Games. International Conference on Games and Narrative (ICGaN).

Dodd, H., & Rothbauer, P. (2024). Negotiating Player Identity and Information in TTRPGs. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS Actes Du congrès Annuel De l’ACSI. doi.org/10.29173/cais2007

Khan, D., Ananthan, A., Singh, J., Ullah, A., & Dodd, H. (2021). Art Intelligence: Unpaired Image Translation using a CycleGAN. Proceedings of the Canadian Undergraduate Conference on Artificial Intelligence (CUCAI). CUCAI Proceedings

Awards & Certifications

  • Szilard Award for Theoretical Computer Science ($1000), 2022
  • Western Scholarship of Excellence ($2000), 2018
  • Don Bennett Memorial Scholarship ($1000), 2018
  • Canadian University Women of Burlington Leadership Award ($750), 2018

Video Game Development

The Path to Today
Narrative Lead
Submission for the IndieCade Climate Jam 2025

Work Experience

Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Waterloo

  • CS115 - Introduction to Computer Science 1, Fall 2025
  • CS234 - Data Types and Structures, Spring 2025
  • CS116 - Introduction to Computer Science 2, Winter 2025
  • CS245 - Logic and Computation, Fall 2024

2024 - Present

Information, System & Business Analyst, Wilfrid Laurier University

  • Acted as the system administrator for iModules, including access management, data maintenance, email marketing, and gift processing forms.
  • Maintained and improved the Alumni Engagement Index (AEI), measuring alumni activity, giving, and connection to the university.
  • Provided analytical reports on annual giving, fundraising campaigns, and alumni data.

2023 - 2024

Service & Professional Development

Secretary, Math Graduate Student Association, University of Waterloo

  • Took accurate meeting minutes and distributed finalized notes promptly to board members.
  • Organized board meetings, prepared the agenda, and ensured all required materials were available in advance.
  • Maintained confidential digital records for the association in compliance with university standards.

2024 - 2025

Copyeditor, Emerging Library & Information Perspectives Journal

Volume 7, 2025
Volume 6, 2024

Project Team Member, Western AI

  • Worked with a team of five undergraduate students to complete a project for CUCAI 2021.
  • Developed technical machine learning skills through project execution.
  • Created educational resources and guides for future Western AI team members.

2019 - 2022

Head of Sustainability, Western University Technology Review

  • Managed the Sustainability Writing Team and provided constructive feedback on pieces in a timely manner.
  • Wrote articles focused on current technological issues with relation to sustainability.
  • London's Green Waste Program, 2021
  • The Quayside Project, 2020

2018 - 2022

Contact

You can reach me at hdodd@uwaterloo.ca.

Credits

The background image is Poppies, Isles of Shoals by Childe Hassam.

This website was made using this Simple Website template.