FAM mourns the loss of our beloved colleague and FAM leader, Dr. Phill Alexander. Phill was Assistant Professor of Emerging Technology + Business Design (ETBD) at Miami, a Games Studies professor and scholar and a key architect of the Games + Simulation major.
Phill’s teaching and research interests included game studies, Cherokee / Indigenous rhetorics, and digital media production.
Phill and Ginny Boehme on the FAM Negotiating Team.
As a beloved member of FAM leadership, Phill worked tirelessly on behalf of his colleagues and for a better Miami to help organize and lead our union. He was the first chair of our Bargaining Council, a member and chair of our Negotiating Team, and a crucial member of multiple FAM committees, including CORE and Comms.
“Phill was a fierce champion for equity and for faculty and student welfare. He was an active member of the Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM), Miami University’s first faculty union, and he served as the first chairperson of the Bargaining Council. His leadership and advocacy will be missed but his spirit will carry on.”
Phill’s obituary observes that he “gave so much to others, bringing his optimistic, hopeful perspective to every endeavor. He was a fierce champion for equity and for faculty and student welfare. He was an active member of the Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM), Miami University’s first faculty union, and he served as the first chairperson of the Bargaining Council. His leadership and advocacy will be missed but his spirit will carry on.”
Julie and Phill Alexander at the FAM Prom: Solidarity Under the Sea, May 2023.
An article about Phill published by the University calls Phill “a trailblazer in college esports” and notes that his “leadership in collegiate esports helped drive the program’s exponential growth on campus, making him a national figure in the field.”
We are forever grateful to Phill for his energy and commitment to students, faculty, and staff and for his work on behalf of FAM — a remarkable legacy for Miami.
In Phill’s honor, please consider donating to the brand-new Professor Phill Alexander Fund to provide scholarships to students interested in gaming.
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