Dr. Ray Pastore is a Full Professor of Instructional Technology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and Program Coordinator for the Esports Management and Online Teaching and Learning minors. He is an author, researcher, educator, and content creator whose work spans instructional design, learning technologies, esports, artificial intelligence, and game-based learning. Dr. Pastore has authored both academic and fiction books, published more than 50 articles, and developed learning solutions for Fortune 100 companies, military organizations, and educational institutions. Prior to joining academia, he worked in corporate environments including MetLife, RWJBarnabas Health, and Booz Allen Hamilton, bringing practical industry experience to his teaching, research, and consulting. An active YouTuber whose educational content has received millions of views, he also serves as coordinator of UNCW Esports and faculty advisor for the nationally recognized Seahawk Esports Club. He holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems from Penn State University.

Research

Dr. Pastore’s research focuses on how technology can be designed and used to improve learning and performance. His areas of expertise include multimedia learning, game design and esports, artificial intelligence in education, online learning, time-compressed audio, learning analytics, and metacognitive strategies that support learning in digital environments. His work has been published in leading academic journals and presented at national and international conferences. He is particularly interested in practical applications of emerging technologies that improve instruction, engagement, and workforce performance.

Teaching

Dr. Pastore has taught online, face-to-face, and hybrid courses since the early 2000s. He previously taught at Penn State University and Slippery Rock University and currently teaches at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. His teaching and curriculum development experience spans a wide range of topics, including instructional design, game design and development, esports management, online learning, workforce training, project management, programming, learning analytics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, mobile learning, evaluation, multimedia development, and educational technology. Dr. Pastore is passionate about preparing students and professionals to succeed in rapidly evolving technology-driven environments through hands-on, authentic learning experiences.

Personal

Dr. Pastore lives in the Hampstead/Surf City, North Carolina area with his wife, Becca, their three sons, Kai Mason, River Layne, and Huntington Stiles, and their pets, Magic, Midnight, and Charlie. Outside of work, he enjoys surfing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Purple Belt), strength training, golf, painting, gaming, and spending time with his family. He is the author of several fiction books, including The Game Master’s Gloves, and holds top-10 world records in classic video games, including Atari Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Adventure.