Dr. Schrum majored in Computer Science, Math, and German as an undergraduate at Southwestern University, and graduated in 2006. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his PhD in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. In particular, Dr. Schrum applies Evolutionary Computation to video game domains. As a graduate student at UT, he won the BotPrize competition in 2012, which was a Turing Test for bots in the game Unreal Tournament 2004, and his dissertation focused on the evolution of Neural Networks to play the classic game of Ms. Pac-Man. Since returning to Southwestern University as a professor in 2014, he encourages active learning and participation in the classroom. He has filmed over 80 short instructional videos for students to watch before class, so that in-class sessions can be focused on problem solving. He is also a regular mentor for Southwestern University’s SCOPE summer research program, and has published several research papers with Southwestern University students. He also interacts with students outside of class as a member of both the CS Club and German Club.

Education

Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin 2014
MS, University of Texas at Austin 2009
BS, Southwestern University 2006

Honors & Awards

• First place in Ms. Pac-Man vs. Ghosts competition 2018, a competition to design controllers for a challenging partially observable version of Ms. Pac-Man.
• Grand prize in BotPrize 2012, a competition to design human-like agents for video games.
• UTCS Department’s 2012 Teaching Assistant Excellence Award.
• Inaugural Paideia Scholar at SU in 2006.

Affiliations

• Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)
• SIGEVO: Special Interest Group on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation
• SIGCSE: Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• IEEE Computational Intelligence Society
• Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), Computer Science Honorary Society
• Pi Mu Epsilon (PME), Mathematics Honorary Society
• Phi Beta Kappa (PBK), Academic Honor Society
• Alpha Chi (AX), Academic Honor Society

Dr. Schrum’s research focuses on automatically discovering intelligent behavior in complex domains, such as video games and other complex simulated environments. He often uses Neuroevolution, the simulated evolution of artificial neural network brains, in order to discover such behavior. A particular focus of this research is to find ways to help learning systems automatically develop multiple modes of behavior in order to handle multiple tasks. Because different tasks are often associated with different objectives, Dr. Schrum is also interested in Multiobjective Optimization.

Game domains that Dr. Schrum has applied his methods to include Unreal Tournament 2004, Ms. Pac-Man, Tetris, and Mario. In 2012 he won the grand prize in BotPrize, a competition focusing on developing human-like bots for the first-person shooter Unreal Tournament 2004. In 2018, in collaboration with an SU student, he won first place in the Ms. Pac-Man track of the Ms. Pac-Man vs. Ghosts competition, a competition focused on developing agents for a challenging partially observable variant of the classic game. Also in 2018, Dr. Schrum won a best paper award for work with several international researchers focusing on the use of Generative Adversarial Networks to generate levels for the game Super Mario Brothers.

Dr. Schrum has also applied Evolutionary Computation to the generation of interesting artistic artifacts, such as pictures, sounds, 3D shapes, and animations. These methods have also been incorporated into a video game in which users explore a world of computer-generated art.

Dissertation

• Jacob Schrum (2014). Evolving Multimodal Behavior Through Modular Multiobjective Neuroevolution, PhD Thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, May 2014. Tech Report TR-14-07. (slides, movies 1, movies 2, software).

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Jacob Schrum, Benjamin Capps, Kirby Steckel, Vanessa Volz, and Sebastian Risi (2022). Hybrid Encoding For Generating Large Scale Game Level Patterns With Local Variations, IEEE Transactions on Games (ToG 2022). Early Access. IEEE. (appendix and levels, software).

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2016). Solving Multiple Isolated, Interleaved, and Blended Tasks through Modular Neuroevolution, Evolutionary Computation Journal (ECJ 2016). September. Volume 24, No. 3, pages 459 - 490. MIT Press. (blended version movies, interleaved version movies, isolated version movies, software).

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2016). Discovering Multimodal Behavior in Ms. Pac-Man through Evolution of Modular Neural Networks, IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games (TCIAIG 2016). March. Volume 8, Issue 1, pages 67 - 81. IEEE. (movies, software).

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2012). Evolving Multimodal Networks for Multitask Games, IEEE Transactions on Computational Intelligence and AI in Games (TCIAIG 2012). June. Volume 4, Issue 2, pages 94 - 111. IEEE. (movies, software).

Peer-Reviewed Conference Publications

• Benjamin Capps, and Jacob Schrum (2021). Using Multiple Generative Adversarial Networks to Build Better-Connected Levels for Mega Man, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2021). (presentation, slides, levels, software).

• Jacob Schrum, Vanessa Volz, and Sebastian Risi (2020). CPPN2GAN: Combining Compositional Pattern Producing Networks and GANs for Large-scale Pattern Generation, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2020). (presentation, slides, software).

• Jacob Schrum, Jake Gutierrez, Vanessa Volz, Jialin Liu, Simon M. Lucas, and Sebastian Risi (2020). Interactive Evolution and Exploration Within Latent Level-Design Space of Generative Adversarial Networks, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2020). (presentation, slides, movie, software).

• Jake Gutierrez, and Jacob Schrum (2020). Generative Adversarial Network Rooms in Generative Graph Grammar Dungeons for The Legend of Zelda, Proceedings of the Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2020). (presentation, slides, movies, software).

• Anna Krolikowski, Sarah Friday, Alice Quintanilla, and Jacob Schrum (2020). Quantum Zentanglement: Combining Picbreeder and Wave Function Collapse to Create Zentangles, EvoMUSART: International Conference on Computational Intelligence in Music, Sound, Art, and Design. (presentation, slides, art, software).

• Adina Friedman, and Jacob Schrum (2019). Desirable Behaviors for Companion Bots in First-Person Shooters, Proceedings of the Conference on Games (CoG 2019). (slides, movies, software).

• Bryan Hollingsworth, and Jacob Schrum (2019). Infinite Art Gallery: A Game World of Interactively Evolved Artwork, Proceedings of the Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2019). (slides, movies and executable, software).

• William Price, and Jacob Schrum (2019). Neuroevolution of Multimodal Ms. Pac-Man Controllers Under Partially Observable Conditions, Proceedings of the Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2019). (slides, movies, contest entry, evolution software).

• Jacob Schrum, (2018). Evolving Indirectly Encoded Convolutional Neural Networks to Play Tetris With Low-Level Features, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2018). (slides, movies, software).

• Isabel Tweraser, Lauren E. Gillespie, and Jacob Schrum (2018). Querying Across Time to Interactively Evolve Animations, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2018). (slides, art and movies, software).

• Vanessa Volz, Jacob Schrum, Jialin Liu, Simon M. Lucas, Adam M. Smith, and Sebastian Risi (2018). Evolving Mario Levels in the Latent Space of a Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2018). (slides, explanation movie, evolution movie, software). Best Paper Award in Digital Entertainment Technologies and Arts

• Tyler McDonnell, Sari Andoni, Elmira Bonab, Sheila Cheng, Jun-Hwan Choi, Jimmie Goode, Keith Moore, Gavin Sellers, and Jacob Schrum (2018). Divide and Conquer: Neuroevolution for Multiclass Classification, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2018). (slides, product).

• Lauren E. Gillespie, Gabriela R. Gonzalez, and Jacob Schrum (2017). Comparing Direct and Indirect Encodings Using Both Raw and Hand-Designed Features in Tetris, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2017). (slides, movies, software).

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2015). Solving Interleaved and Blended Sequential Decision-Making Problems through Modular Neuroevolution, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2015). (slides, interleaved domain movies, blended domain movies, software). Best Paper Award in Digital Entertainment Technologies and Arts (also extended into a journal article)

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2014). Evolving Multimodal Behavior With Modular Neural Networks in Ms. Pac-Man, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2014). (slides, movies, software). Best Paper Award in Digital Entertainment Technologies and Arts (also extended into a journal article)

• Jacob Schrum, Igor V. Karpov, and Risto Miikkulainen (2011). UT^2: Human-like Behavior via Neuroevolution of Combat Behavior and Replay of Human Traces, Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games (CIG 2011). (slides, software).

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2011). Evolving Multimodal Networks for Multitask Games, Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games (CIG 2011). (slides, movies, software). Best Paper Award (also extended into a journal article)

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2010). Evolving Agent Behavior In Multiobjective Domains Using Fitness-Based Shaping, Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2010). (slides, movies, software).

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2009). Evolving Multi-modal Behavior in NPCs, Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games (CIG 2009). (slides, movies, software). Best Student Paper Award

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2008). Constructing Complex NPC Behavior via Multi-Objective Neuroevolution, Proceedings of the Fourth Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment Conference (AIIDE 2008). (slides, movies, software).

Invited Book Chapters/Articles

• Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2016). Constructing Game Agents Through Simulated Evolution, Encyclopedia of Computer Graphics and Games, pages 1 - 10. Editor: Newton Lee. Springer.

• Jacob Schrum, Igor V. Karpov, and Risto Miikkulainen (2012). Humanlike Combat Behavior via Multiobjective Neuroevolution, Believable Bots, pages 119 - 150. Editor: Philip F. Hingston. Springer. (software).

• Igor V. Karpov, Jacob Schrum, and Risto Miikkulainen (2012). Believable Bot Navigation via Playback of Human Traces, Believable Bots, pages 151 - 170. Editor: Philip F. Hingston. Springer. (software).

Undergraduate Poster Presentations Supervised

• Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2022). Using Quality Diversity to Generate Flying Machines in Minecraft, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Alejandro Medina, Melanie Richey, and Mark Mueller (2022). Interactive Evolution of Novel Shapes in Minecraft, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Anna Wicker (2022). Target-Based Image Evolution Using Quality Diversity Based Exclusively on Genome Complexity, Alpha Chi National Convention. (software).

• Anna Wicker (2021). Target-Based Image Evolution Using Quality Diversity Based Exclusively on Genome Complexity, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (software).

• Maxx Batterton (2021). Evaluating Quality Diversity Success by Transferring MAP Elites Archives, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (software).

• Benjamin Capps (2020). Evolving Mega Man Levels Using Generative Adversarial Networks, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (levels, software).

• Kirby Steckel (2020). Evolving Lode Runner Levels with Generative Adversarial Networks, Southwestern University Summer Research Open House. (levels, software).

• Ryan Wheeler, Nicholai Benko, and Guy Greathouse (2020). Using Neuroevolution on Checkers Players, Alpha Chi National Convention. (software).

• Jake Gutierrez (2019). Creating Zelda Dungeons with a Graph Grammar and a Generative Adversarial Network, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Aleksandr Nazaruk (2019). Speed’s the Game: For the development of behaviorally diverse Sonic the Hedgehog agents, Southwestern University Science Research Open House.

• Bryan Hollingsworth (2019). Infinite Art Gallery: A Game World of Interactively Evolved Artwork, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies and executable, software). 3rd Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

• Devon Fulcher (2019). Evolving Custom Convolutional Neural Network Architectures in SZ-Tetris, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (software). 4th Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

• Adina Friedman (2019). Desirable Behaviors for Companion Bots in First-Person Shooters, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software).

• Elyssa Sliheet, and William Price (2019). Bias in Machine Learning, Southwestern University King Creativity Symposium. (software).

• William Price (2018). Evolving an Intelligent Ms. Pac-Man Agent Under Partially Observable Conditions, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, contest entry, evolution software).

• Bryan Hollingsworth (2018). Evolving an Infinite Art Gallery Using Compositional Pattern Producing Networks, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies and executable, software).

• Devon Fulcher (2018). Evolving Custom Convolutional Neural Network Architectures in SZ-Tetris, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).

• Adina Friedman (2018). Creating Evolved and Hand Coded Companion Characters, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Sarah “Darwin” Johnson (2018). Evolution of Board Game Playing Agents, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (software).

• Alice Quintanilla (2018). Evolving Artificial Intelligences to Compete in Real-Time Strategy Games, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software).

• Sarah “Darwin” Johnson (2017). Evolution of Board Game Playing Agents, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).

• Alice Quintanilla (2017). Evolving Artificial Intelligences to Compete in Real-Time Strategy Games, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Isabel Tweraser (2017). Using Time to Interactively Evolve Animations, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Isabel Tweraser (2017). Breedesizer: Evolving Original Sounds With Neural Networks, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).

• Lauren Gillespie, and Gabriela Gonzalez (2017). Comparing Direct and Indirect Encodings Using Both Raw and Hand-Designed Features in Tetris, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software). 1st Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

• Alex Rollins (2017). Balancing Selection Pressures, Multiple Objectives, and Neural Modularity to Coevolve Cooperative Agent Behavior, South Central Regional Meeting of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. (movies, software). 2nd Place: Undergraduate Poster Competition

• Gabriela Gonzalez, and Lauren Gillespie (2017). Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Tetris Play Using Raw Screen Inputs, Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Sciences. (movies, software). Best Poster Presentation Award in Mathematics and Computer Science

• Alex Rollins (2017). Balancing Selection Pressures, Multiple Objectives, and Neural Modularity to Coevolve Cooperative Agent Behavior, Annual Meeting of the Texas Academy of Sciences. (movies, software).

• Lauren Gillespie (2016). Picbreeder: The Evolution of Art Inside of a Computer, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Gabriela Gonzalez, and Lauren Gillespie (2016). Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Tetris Play Using Raw Screen Inputs, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (movies, software).

• Alex Rollins (2016). Selection Pressures in Evolutionary Computation, Southwestern University Science Research Open House. (software).