Minecraft

The blocky hospital in the MCAT prep course is a replica of Parkland Memorial in Dallas. [Image: UT Dallas]

UTD Pre-Med Students Are Treating Virtual Patients in a Minecraft World

by David Seeley | Apr 30, 2026

Using a digital twin of Parkland Memorial Hospital for its blocky hospital, UTD's MCAT prep course playbook was designed by IvyBee, a Plano-based startup founded and led by Dr. Walter Voit, founder of UTD's Center for Engineering Innovation.

MORE►

Researchers Build ‘Blocky” Twin of UTD in Minecraft for Digital Workforce Training

by Lance Murray | Apr 4, 2025

Hollywood's "A Minecraft Movie" killed it with a record $163 million opening weekend. Meanwhile, UT Dallas researchers have created their own world in Minecraft to develop educational games embedded in the blocky "digital sandbox"—and launched a new startup to advance their efforts.

MORE►

Beyond Gaming: How Minecraft Became a Platform for Scientific Learning and AI Research

by UT Dallas | Mar 3, 2025

UT Dallas researcher Dr. Walter Voit transformed Minecraft’s 170-million-player universe into an advanced virtual training ground—for students and for AI agents tested by DARPA. His team’s Polycraft World uses gameplay to turn classroom theory into real-world expertise, covering topics from synthetic organic chemistry to nuclear plants to semiconductor facilities. Their new startup company, Pedegree Studios, has licensed the core technologies from the university to create a scalable digital pipeline for education and workforce development.

sponsored by The University of Texas at Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

MORE►

Real-Life Minecraft Experience To Get World Premiere in North Texas This September

by David Seeley | May 31, 2024

The best-selling video game of all time has inspired a "real-life, in-person" adventure called Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue—and it's getting its global debut at a site in Plano on September 20. Attendees will go on an epic rescue mission "at the crossroads of game design, experiential storytelling, and high-tech multimedia," organizers say.

MORE►