Education

University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC

Ph.D., Department of Computer Science

College of Computing and Informatics

Thesis Topic: Inter-personal social conversation in multimodal human-virtual human interaction

Advisor: Dr. Larry F. Hodges

Aug 2002 – May 2007

University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC

M.S, Department of Software and Information Systems

College of Computing and Informatics

Concentration: Advanced Databases and Knowledge Discovery

Aug 2000 - May 2002

University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, NC

B.S in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology

Department of Biology

College of Arts and Sciences

Jan 1995 - May 2000

Invited Talks

· “Investigating Applied Perception and Peer Influence in Immersive Virtual Environments.” Computer Science Colloquia, University of Iowa, Oct, 2009.

· “Investigating Applied Perception and Peer Influence in Immersive Virtual Environments.” Graduate Seminar, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Jan, 2009.

· “Investigating Applied Perception and Peer Influence in Immersive Virtual Environments.” Graduate Seminar, Clemson University, Oct, 2008.

· “Research in Social Conversation and Peer Influence in Human-Virtual Human Interaction.” Teaching Game Design Conference, Dakota State University, South Dakota, Oct, 2008.

· "Research directions in Travel Techniques, Display Modalities, and Interactive Virtual Humans in Immersive Virtual Environments." Center for Computer Aided Design (CCAD), University of Iowa, Jan, 2008.

· "Inter-Personal Social Conversation in Multi-modal Human-Virtual Human Interaction", Institute of Creative Technologies (ICT), University of Southern California, June, 2007.

· "Inter-Personal Social Conversation in Multi-modal Human-Virtual Human Interaction", Department of Computer Science, University of Iowa, April, 2007.

· "Inter-Personal Social Conversation in Multi-modal Human-Virtual Human Interaction", Department of Computer Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, April, 2007.

· "Virtual Human Interface Framework (VHIF) for studying Human-Virtual Human Interaction", Graduate Seminar, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, April, 2005.

· "Marve: Messaging and Recognition Virtual Entity", Center for Human Computer Interaction and 3D Interaction Group, Virginia Tech, October, 2004.

Honors and Awards  

▪ IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI), September 2013

▪ IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces Best Paper Award, March 2007

▪ Member, ACM and IEEE

▪ Member, Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars 2005

▪ Member, Golden Key National Honor Society 2005 

Service Activities  

Conference & Workshop Committee Activities

▪ General Chair, IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, Greenville, SC 2016

▪ Conference Committee, IEEE Virtual Reality Conference 2007 - 2015

▪ Program Committee, Joint ICAT – EuroVR – EGVE Conference on Virtual Reality

▪ Local Arrangements & Exhibits Co-Chair, IEEE Virtual Reality Conference 2007, Charlotte, NC

Reviewer

International Journal on Human-Computer Studies (IJHCS) 2009 - 2013

Joint ICAT – EuroVR – EGVE Conference on Virtual Reality 2009 - 2015

ACM Special Interest Group on Human-Computer Interaction (SigCHI) 2009

IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces, 2008 - 2015

IEEE Virtual Reality Conference 2008 - 2015

IEEE Transactions on Image Processing 2006

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics 2005 - 2015

Sponsored Research  

▪ Principle Investigator – “Using Virtual Peers to Investigate Social Influences in Children’s Bicycling”, Competitive Internal Funding Initiative, Social Sciences Funding Program 2009-2010, University of Iowa, Amount Awarded: $30,000.00

In The News  

▪ Featured in an article titled “Using Virtual humans to Teach Cultural Protocols”, in The Global Perspective, Official Newsletter of the Office of International Programs. (Nov 2006)

▪ Featured on a local Television News (WBTV 9 – Charlotte), on the best Badminton athletes of the Carolinas. (May 1999)

▪ Featured in the Charlotte Observer Newspaper article titled “Top Badminton Athletes” for ranking number 1 Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles Badminton Player in the Collegiate Division in the South. (May 1999)