
The first book Mark Rounds read, other than "See Spot Run" was "Rocketship Galileo" in the second grade. He was restricted from the library in the third grade because it was such a wondrous place, that he forgot to do his "real" homework. Things haven't changed much since then.
Mark has been an Air Force officer fuzzing radars in B-52's, a bouncer in some of Spokane's least classy bars, a consultant in information technology, geek in a cube in a couple .com's, folk singer, and currently faculty at the University of Idaho in MIS. He has published papers and conference proceedings on Computer Security, Hacking Motivations, Geographical Information Systems, and Grizzly Bear Habitat. Academically, Mark has a BS in Computer science from Montana State University in 1978, MBA from University of North Dakota in 1985, MS in Computer Science from Washington State University in 2000, and a PhD at the University of Idaho in 2014 focusing in Cyber Security. Mark has promised his wife that he will enter into a 12-step program to kick his education habit.
When he was younger and more foolish, he competed as an IPF power lifter and has a first ascent in Glacier Park on Red Rock Point. Mark's current hobbies include Civil War Reenacting, Reading, Folk Guitar, competing in Practical Pistol meets, and cooking gourmet food for his wife of 40 years and 3 grown offspring. Mark is also known as a gamer and has recently published his fourth novel, "Commonality Games".
Sessions in which Dr. Mark Rounds participates
3:15 PM
3:15 PM
- Firearms in Fiction and Gaming 3121- Gaming/Fan Track
- 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM | 1 hour
- Many writers and game designers have only an academic knowledge of modern weapons, much of it drawn from movies and TV, which is either wrong or im...
- Panel
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
- Research and Writing 3125- Writing Track
- 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM | 1 hour
- From science to history to magic, the world is full of source material for writes if you only know where to look. Our panel of writers, game design...
- Panel
10:15 AM
10:15 AM
- Real Steam Punk 3123- Science/History Track
- 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM | 1 hour
- The Surprising Inventions of the Victorians. Electric elevators? Wireless phones? Computer programming? Car races? Fax machines? Electric power sta...
- Panel
1:20 PM
1:20 PM
- Dr. Mark Rounds Book Reading Harvest
- 1:20 PM - 1:50 PM | 30 minutes
- Reading
2:00 PM
2:00 PM
- A Taste of the Civil War Harvest
- 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | 1 hour
- Want to write realistic prose set in the past? Time travel to the American Civil War and use all five senses to experience what life was like durin...
- Panel
3:15 PM
3:15 PM
- Dirigibles, Automatons, Steam trains! 3123- Science/History Track
- 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM | 1 hour
- Dirigibles, automatons, steam trains, and what's with those giant wheels on bicycles anyway? Steampunk devices are rooted in actual science. Come a...
- Panel
5:45 PM
5:45 PM
- RPG GUNS, GUNS, GUNS 3121- Gaming/Fan Track
- 5:45 PM - 6:45 PM | 1 hour
- Panel
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
- Roots of Steampunk 3127- Writing Track
- 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM | 1 hour
- Steampunk is a subset of the science fiction genre that poses an alternative history where 20th century technology operates in the 19th century Vic...
- Panel
8:15 PM
8:15 PM
- Veterans and Speculative Fiction: a support group 3125- Writing Track
- 8:15 PM - 9:15 PM | 1 hour
- Panel
9:00 AM
9:00 AM
- Privacy Law in a Cyberpunk Era 3119- Art/Media/Wildcard
- 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | 1 hour
- In the wake of disclosures by Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, many are left wondering whether we’re already living in a Cyberpunk Dystopia. Joi...
- Panel
12:45 PM
12:45 PM
- Experimental Archaeology 3123- Science/History Track
- 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM | 1 hour
- "Experimental Archaeology" refers to hands-on attempts to re-create various aspects of the past. From building a Medieval trebuchet to test its act...
- Panel