November 06, 2009

Janeen Anderson wins Women in Technology Award

Game Production Services CEO honored at second annual event

Janeen Anderson, CEO of Game Production Services, was honored by the New Mexico Technology Council at their second annual Women in Technology Celebration.

Anderson was one of eight New Mexico women recognized for their contributions to technological fields. Award winners were chosen for both accomplishments in their careers and community service, particularly as it related to encouraging women and girls to pursue technology careers.

Besides her work with Game Production Services, a developer of serious games and immersive mixed-reality environments, Anderson’s efforts to help create a new media industry cluster in New Mexico by collaborating with the Economic Development Department and the New Mexico Partnership to bring other video game companies to the state was also noted. She is also active with the Governor’s Media Industries Strategy Project (MISP).

A Materials Science engineer with 14 patents (13 US, one European), Janeen began her career creating neural network circuits that could mimic biological systems.  She then went on to work as a programmer, hardware and software engineer, and senior technical staff member at companies including Oracle and Synaptics.

At GPS, and at the company she helped run previously in California, Abalone Entertainment Software, Janeen has endeavored to hire and mentor women programmers and artists, who often have a hard time breaking into the male-dominated video game industry.

She is currently a board member of the Fractal Foundation whose mission includes making math and science more appealing to children in grades K-12.  GPS is also a founding member of the Rio Grande Chapter of the International Game Developer’s Association (IGDA).  This group promotes professional development and serves the growing game development, modeling and simulation community in New Mexico with events including the 48-hour global game jam.