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	Michelle Bebber Assistant Professor, CAS, Anthropology Michelle's project, Visualizing the Past via Bodies in Motion: Reconstructing Paleolithic Art Through Immersive Technology, reconstructs the embodied experience of creating Paleolithic cave art using immersive technology, motion capture, and sensory-rich simulations. By combining archaeology, biomechanics, digital media, and the arts, it enables participants to physically engage with the spatial and gestural realities of ancient artistic practices. Utilizing �� State’s Blank_Lab and XR_Collaboratory, the project both advances research into human creativity and evolution and offers compelling public and educational experiences. Through embodied re-enactments and biomechanical analysis, it seeks to generate new insights into the origins of aesthetic expression and connect modern audiences with ancient human experiences.
	Deepshikha Bhati Lecturer, Stark Campus, CAS, Computer Science Deepshikha's project, Interpretable Generative AI for Education and Creative Industries, explores how explainable AI (XAI) can enhance transparency, trust, and ethical accountability in generative AI systems used across creative and educational fields. By integrating Layer-wise Relevance Propagation (LRP) into image generation pipelines like Stable Diffusion, we aim to demystify the “black box” of AI. Through interactive, web-based tools, users—including educators, students, and designers—will be able to visualize how input prompts shape AI outputs.
	Kayon Hall Assistant Professor, EHHS, Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs Kayon's project, The Quiet Holds Us: A Sensory Archive of Black Immigrant Life, is an interdisciplinary, multimedia project that reimagines Black immigrant life beyond narratives of spectacle and survival. Drawing on theories of quiet and wake work (Quashie, Sharpe), it centers joy, rest, and interiority through a sensory archive built with photography, sound design, and community storytelling. Using the DI Hub’s Blank_Lab and immersive technologies, the project will create a traveling art exhibit and collaborative archive that honors lived experience and challenges extractive, trauma-centered representations of Blackness. Rooted in counter-storytelling and Critical Race Theory, it invites audiences to feel and witness Black life through slowness, memory, and intimate joy—advancing a new vision for multimodal scholarship and public humanities.
	Raiful Hasan Assistant Professor, CAS, Computer Science Raiful and Hadi Rahmati's project aims to develop a reciprocal, adaptive external Human–Machine Interface (eHMI) for autonomous vehicles, tailored to the diverse needs of pedestrians, including those who are distracted, disabled, or sensory impaired. Drawing on Roman Jakobson’s communication theory, the system enables two-way, multi-modal interactions—responding to pedestrian feedback and adapting cues based on individual context. The team plans to simulate pedestrian–AV encounters using immersive environments, leveraging volumetric capture and virtual vehicle models to evaluate trust, inclusivity, and adaptability. The ultimate goal is to create an equitable, human-centered eHMI that enhances urban mobility and fosters social trust in autonomous systems.
	Hadi Rahmati Assistant Professor, CCI, Visual Communication Design Hadi and Raiful Hasan's project aims to develop a reciprocal, adaptive external Human–Machine Interface (eHMI) for autonomous vehicles, tailored to the diverse needs of pedestrians, including those who are distracted, disabled, or sensory impaired. Drawing on Roman Jakobson’s communication theory, the system enables two-way, multi-modal interactions—responding to pedestrian feedback and adapting cues based on individual context. The team plans to simulate pedestrian–AV encounters using immersive environments, leveraging volumetric capture and virtual vehicle models to evaluate trust, inclusivity, and adaptability. The ultimate goal is to create an equitable, human-centered eHMI that enhances urban mobility and fosters social trust in autonomous systems.
	David Silva Assistant Professor, CCI, Communication Studies & EMAT David's project aims to transform �� State’s DI Hub into a regional leader in scalable AR/VR training solutions by standardizing processes for developing immersive training materials across industries. While the university already possesses advanced 3D scanning and modeling technologies, current AR/VR initiatives remain isolated and industry-specific. By leveraging the XR_Collaboratory, DepthKit equipment, and faculty expertise in data design and user experience, this initiative will create a replicable pipeline for building cost-effective, high-impact training tools. A pilot collaboration with Crystal Diagnostics will demonstrate how immersive simulations can reduce training time and eliminate costly logistical barriers for biotech start-ups, while also enhancing workforce readiness for students.

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