From UWF Anthropology to User Researcher at Blizzard Entertainment
July 22, 2025 | By Aimee Farmer, Student Intern, Department of English | Edited by Karen Tibbals, CASSH Communications Coordinator
Amanda Cullen, a 2014 graduate with both a B.A. and M.A. in Cultural Anthropology, now works as a User Researcher at Blizzard Entertainment, where she supports the Diablo IV franchise. Cullen's work centers on understanding players' motivations, behaviors, and perceptions. She develops and conducts playtests where players engage with a section of the game while Cullen observes and surveys them. She then synthesizes the feedback into actionable insights for game designers to enhance the player experience.
Cullen’s journey to Blizzard began at UWF, where she initially started as a History major before discovering Anthropology through an introductory class.
What drew me in was the realization that anthropology offers a vital glimpse into what makes us all human. - Amanda Cullen, User Researcher
Her education at UWF shaped her approach to her work by fostering an enthusiasm for exploring the systems and objects that influence human life. Cullen credits the UWF Anthropology department with teaching her the foundational research methods she still uses today, such as interviewing and participant observation.
While at UWF, Cullen became deeply influenced by Dr. Robert Philen, whose courses in cultural anthropology solidified her decision to pursue this field. Dr. Philen’s passion and expertise in the subject matter, combined with his personal commitment to helping students appreciate the complexities of human experiences, inspired Cullen. She specifically chose to stay at UWF for graduate school to continue working with Dr. Philen, whose mentorship gave Cullen confidence in both her academic and personal journey.
It was also Dr. Philen who introduced Cullen to "Coming of Age in Second Life" by Dr. Tom Boellstorff, an ethnographic account of the virtual world Second Life. Cullen found this work transformative, as it sparked her interest in digital communities and led her to pursue a PhD in Informatics. This academic shift paved the way for her current career at Blizzard Entertainment. “His guidance supported me in what felt like an alien world—graduate school—and it ultimately helped me find my own path,” she says.
Cullen’s career at Blizzard was partly made possible by networking during her time at UWF. After graduating, a former graduate school colleague who had gone on to work at Blizzard reached out to her about an opening on their User Research team. “She cracked the door open for me, and now I try to do the same for others when I can,” Cullen shares. She successfully interviewed with Blizzard’s senior research team, demonstrating her research and soft skills, as well as her deep knowledge of Blizzard games.
In addition to her work at Blizzard, Cullen had a valuable research internship at Twitch during her graduate school years. This experience allowed her to see the differences between academic and industry research and understand how entertainment companies make decisions based on user data. “It was a great opportunity to see behind the curtain of how a major entertainment company makes decisions,” Cullen says. She credits this internship as a key part of her success during her Blizzard interviews.
I realized just how much of a difference an anthropologist can make in the world, just by helping people to appreciate things they hadn’t otherwise considered or encountered before. - Cullen
Cullen has two pieces of advice for current and prospective UWF students. First, “Ask your professors questions and attend their office hours,” she advises. “The faculty are a tremendous resource as subject matter experts, but they also offer guidance from their own experiences. I regret not asking more questions when I was an undergraduate.” Second, Cullen stresses the importance of learning from mistakes. “Don’t be afraid of getting it wrong. Recognizing and learning from mistakes frees you to think critically about yourself and the world around you, and it’s ultimately what will lead you to becoming a better student.”
To learn more about Cultural Anthropology or other Anthropology programs at UWF and how they can shape your future, visit UWF’s Department of Anthropology.
