Peter Ohring, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Mathematics/Computer Science and New Media
School of Film and Media Studies

Office:  1007 Natural Sciences Building
Tel: (914) 251-6678
Email: peter.ohring@purchase.edu

Personal Homepage:
faculty.purchase.edu/peter.ohring/

Dr. Ohring is an Associate Professor of Mathematics/Computer Science and New Media at Purchase College, State University of New York, and coordinator of the New Media program. His professional interests have evolved considerably over the years, veering from pure mathematics towards computing and new media. His current interests center on exploring ways to use new Internet technologies to positively impact individuals and their communities. He has directed an academic enrichment program in new media for disadvantaged high school students and is currently working on several social software projects. This involves conceptualizing, designing and developing social software that addresses a particular need such as promoting ride-sharing or social skills in autistic children.

Education
Ph.D., 1987, Mathematics, University of Colorado, Boulder
B.S., 1982, Mathematics and Physics, Hebrew University

Courses Taught
Social Software
Creating Web Documents
New Media Junior Seminar
Games for Change
Calculus I, II, & III
Computer Science I & II
Discrete Mathematics

Current Projects
Spectacle Now a role-playing driving game that takes Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness and places it on Route 192 in Orlando, FL. Players must make it to Disney World with enough money and time to spare. Along the road they meet native Floridians as well as other travellers and have opportunities to explore key societal issues including cultural divisions, consumerism and media saturation.

PictureYourself@Purchase combines the web, mobile phones and a large screen projection to allow a large number of participants to collaborate on creating a web-based photomontage. Used at the Purchase College Open House for accepted students to help participants connect with each other and with the college.

Using emerging technologies and online social networking strategies, Purpool makes ride sharing fun and easy at a time when US dependency on gasoline has become extremely hazardous, both politically and environmentally. It also allows for users to map, describe and share the places that are meaningful to them.

The Flexibility Learning on the Web (FLOW) project centers on developing interactive, multi-player, cooperative web-based games and activities to reduce rigidity, a core deficit area of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and enhance social interaction by requiring the children to solve problems cooperatively. (Podium, an IBM Research Podcast: How multiplayer video games help socialize autistic children)