Chip Limeburner is a doctoral student in Concordia’s individualized program, bringing a background in computational neuroscience and computation arts to bear on questions of themed entertainment design. Supervised by Rilla Khaled (Design & Computation Arts), May Chew (joint Art History and Film Studies), and David Howes (Sociology & Anthropology), their dissertation proposes to scrutinize the experience of awe in theme parks as a mediator of the discourses framed within. Through the philosophical lenses of the sublime and wonder, and psychological and anthropological understandings of awe, their work hopes to clarify the role of larger-than-life presentation in the reception of ideology in immersive experiences.

Besides their dissertation, Chip is also engaged in various research projects on the aesthetic outcomes of tech integration in theme parks, interrogating whether or not conventional design wisdom must be reconsidered in light of novel technological developments. They are currently carrying out ongoing research on tangible themed interactivity at the Technoculture, Arts, and Games (TAG) lab under Rilla Khaled, have presented work on 4D and multisensory cinema at the Center for Sensory Studies’ Uncommon Senses conference, and are beginning to explore questions at the fuzzy border of stuntronics, where cutting edge animatronic technology is calling into question the nature of the live stunt show. Finally, they are also a research assistant under Monika Kin Gagnon (Communications Studies) researching the history and development of novel film formats at world’s fairs.

They are an associate member of the Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Society (TEAAS). Having spent a number of years as a scenic designer and creative technologist in escape rooms, they also maintain connections to the broader themed entertainment industry through membership in the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).