TEAM

FACULTY

Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira

Known worldwide as the creator of the CAVE virtual reality system, Carolina Cruz-Neira (Senior Member, IEEE) has developed and deployed multiple virtual reality and interactive visualization technologies that have become standard tools in industry, government, and academic workflows. She is the Agere Chair of the UCF Computer Science department, and serves as Interim Executive Director for the Institute for Simulation and Training. Dr. Cruz-Neira received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the former Executive Director of the Emerging Analytics Center with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dr. Cruz-Neira is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has received the IEEE Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award, among many other honors.

Dr. Dirk Reiners

Dr. Reiners, UCF Computer Science professor, is a software and systems architect who has designed and implemented large-scale systems. He is the initiator and project lead of the OpenSG Open Source scenegraph system, a premier Open-Source rendering system for immersive VR. His research has resulted in new, real-time rendering algorithms and novel methods for interactive information visualization and immersive display systems and applications. Dr. Reiners (Senior Member, IEEE; member, ACM) previously held faculty positions at Iowa State University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He began his career at Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics, investigating applied VR and AR. Dr. Reiners earned MS and doctoral degrees in computer graphics from Germany’s Technical University of Darmstadt.

Carsten Neumann

With more than two decades of experience designing and implementing interactive computer graphics systems and XR applications, Carsten Neumann is a leading expert in 3D graphics and real-time rendering, software system design, and application architecture. Before joining the VARLab team, Carsten worked with Dr. Cruz-Neira and Dr. Reiner as a research scientist at University of Louisiana at Lafayette and at University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He began his career at Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research in Darmstadt, Germany, where he rendered frameworks for cluster-driven immersive displays. Carsten holds an MS in Mathematics from Germany’s Technische Universitat Darmstadt.

Dr. Gerd Bruder

Gerd Bruder is a Research Associate Professor for virtual and augmented reality at UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training. An expert in 3D and natural user interfaces and interaction techniques, intelligent virtual agents, and embodiment, Dr. Bruder is experienced in applications supporting architecture, healthcare, military operations and training, modeling and simulation, scientific visualization, and smart homes. His honors include Best Paper Award at the ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology 2023 and Innovation Award at TechConnect 2021. Previously, Dr. Bruder served as post-doc researcher in human-computer interaction at University of Hamburg and University of Würzburg. He earned his Ph.D. in computer science from University of Münster and MS in computer science from University of Münster.

PhD candidates

Liangding Li

Hi! I'm Liangding Li, a PhD student in Computer Science. I joined VARLab in 2020, where my research focuses on immersive virtual field trips to enhance experiential learning and interaction in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR).

PhD Candidate

Abdul Mannan Mohammed

A researcher and designer with a passion for blending technology with art, Mannan is pursuing a PhD in computer engineering and serves as a Graduate Research Assistant at VARLab. His research focuses on large language models and their collaboration with humans. At VARLab, he has contributed to the development of a human digital twin capable of realistic communication powered by advanced language models.

PhD Candidate

Edo Christianto

Edo Christianto is pursuing a PhD in computer engineering with a focus on VR, AR, and computer networks. He received his Master's degree from UCF and his Bachelor's degree from Universitas Dinamika, Indonesia. Edo has experience in computer networks, particularly in network optimization, network security, and AR and VR engineering, and has worked as a lead network engineer and network administrator.

PhD Student

Jiapeng Chi

Jiapeng has focused on research in 360-degree video technology and super resolution. His current project is a 360-degree video-based telepresence system. His research interests lie in 360-degree video technology, super resolution, and video streaming. A doctoral candidate in computer science, he earned his B.S. in Software Engineering from the Beijing Institute of Technology.

PhD Student

Martin McCarthy

Martin McCarthy is a doctoral candidate in computer science. He has professional experience as a software engineer, designing AI systems and solutions for VR platforms. As a Graduate Research Assistant at the VARLab, he has developed applications using modern game engines, including Unity and Unreal Engine 5.

PhD Student

Reese Galagher

A PhD student in computer science, Reese previously received his B.S. in chemistry with additional post-baccalaureate computer science studies from University of Florida, and obtained his M.S. in chemistry from UCF. He is currently working at VARLab as a graduate research assistant. His current research focus is in the area of point cloud rendering in computer graphics.

PhD Student

Taylor Laird

Pursuing a PhD in mixed reality, Taylor has conducted research with NASA and the Florida Space Institute, leading a team that ran lunar regolith research simulations for pre-astronaut moon landings and base development, and developed systems to support collaborative research using simulation.

PhD Student

Research Assistants

Judah

Judah holds an MS in computer science from UCF, with a focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Following graduation, he began working as a Graduate Research Assistant at VARLab. His current work explores bringing AR to specialized 3D displays.

Graduate Research Assistant

Liam Abramov

Liam Abramov is pursuing a Bachelors of Sciences degree in Computer Science with the goal of becoming a video game developer. In his role as a research assistant in the VARLab, he designs VR programs through the Unity engine

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Dallas Kirkland

Dallas Kirkland is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Art degree in Themed Experience at UCF with an undergraduate BFA in Animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design. As a Graduate Research Assistant at the VARLab, she brings her skills of 3D modeling, rigging, and animation to enhance a variety of projects. She is interested in using her skills in 3D to design experiences for theme parks and other immersive experiences. She is also interested in taking the amazing VR/AR technology available in the lab to the field to build immersive experiences utilizing the technology.

Graduate Research Assistant

Jordan Muniz

Jordan Muniz is a Master’s student in computer science with a focus on software engineering. Jordan serves as a VARLab research assistant. His work centers on building realistic simulations in Unreal Engine and Unity.

Research Assistant

Andy Henriquez

Andy's interests and expertise include game development and immersive technologies. His current research focuses on exploring and creating various eye gaze interactions within Unity for the HoloLens 2. After earning a bachelor's degree in computer science from UCF, he began pursuing a master's degree and joined the VARLab.

Research Assistant

Lukas Schoenfeld

Originally from Ovideo, Florida, Lukas Schoenfeld is pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics at UCF. As a research assistant in the VARLAB, he works with data visualization.

Research Assistant

Sachin Sivakumar

An undergraduate student majoring in computer science, with interests in mathematics and cybersecurity, Sachin also is a competitive programmer and open source contributor involved in software development, VR, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. As an elite competitive programmer on the UCF Programming Team, he represents UCF at regional and national levels in the International Collegiate Programming Contest.

Research Assistant

Alumni

Azhar Ali Mohammad

Azhar is passionate about programming and debugging. His VR development journey began during his Master’s program at UCF, where he joined the VARLab as a research assistant. His favorite project, the Human Digital Twin, leveraged Unreal Engine Metahumans to create a realistic virtual human capable of intelligent communication using large language models. The system integrated speech recognition, realistic speech generation, eye gaze detection, and visual context to provide a seamless and immersive experience. Azhar earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Osmania University in India. He is currently working as a Software Engineer at XCaliber Health.

Graduated with his Masters in Computer Engineering in Fall 2024

Imranuddin Shaik

Imranuddin earned his bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Osmania University and completed his Master’s in Computer Science at UCF. He has a strong interest in software development and virtual reality, with professional experience in developing both web and mobile applications. During his time at the lab, his VR research focused on simulating the real-time movements of various satellites around the globe. He is currently a Software Development Engineer at AWS, Amazon.

Graduated with his Masters in Computer Science in Spring 2025

Sheharoze Uddin Mohammed

Sheharoze holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology, India, and completed his Master’s in Computer Science at UCF. Passionate about web development and coding, he also actively explored the evolving landscape of XR technologies. With prior experience as a software developer, Sheharoze contributed to the lab's focus on immersive computing and interactive systems. He is currently working at Amazon as Software Development Engineer.

Graduated with his Masters in Computer Science in Spring 2025

Dr. Berk Cetinsaya

Berk earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCF, following an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Bahcesehir University in Turkey. His research focused on autonomous drone control systems and real-time 3D updates of digital twin environments. His broader interests include computer graphics, VR/AR, and the integration of digital twins with autonomous systems. He is working as a Unity Developer at ExamRoom.AI.

Graduated with his PhD in Computer Science in Fall 2024

Jason Ortiz

Jason helped to pioneer EarthXR for the VARLab, leveraging CAVE technology to allowing users to see a promising future for realistic digital twins.

Master’s Graduate