Research Bio

Emma Fraser researches urban ruins, digital culture, space and place, and how visual media shape urban experience. Her work analyzes geospatial representation, ruins and urban memory, and the aesthetic and social dimensions of digital storytelling and game worlds. 

Fraser is an Assistant Professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Geography the Berkeley Center for New Media. She teaches on critical theory, urban geography, new media, game studies, digital storytelling, and digital methods, and collaborates across humanities and design. Her expertise lies in digital media and urbanism.

Emma is available to speak as a Faculty expert on technology, video games and play (including Roblox, Minecraft, retro gaming, gaming hardware and consoles, playful cities, smart homes and devices, and controversies in gaming culture); virtual reality (including mixed reality and extended reality, the metaverse, and related developments), and urban decline and revitalization, as well as broadly ‘digital’ current events. Emma can provide commentary on the everyday use of generative AI platforms, and the impact of AI in education. Emma is also known for her collaborative work on digital twins and smart cities, with expertise on developments in urban design and technology.

Research Expertise and Interest

digital culture, urban media, game studies, new media, critical theory