I am a President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the Illusioneering Lab at the University of Minnesota working with Dr. Evan Suma Rosenberg. My research interests lie at the intersection of Virtual/Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Applied Machine Learning. My research addresses the pressing usability challenges that hinder the broader application and acceptance of VR/AR technologies. My approach to research is interdisciplinary, broadly drawing knowledge from Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Graphics, AI and Cognitive Neuroscience. This holistic perspective allows me to tackle complex problems in novel ways.

I received my Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Nevada-Reno, advised by Eelke Folmer and Paul MacNeilage. Previously, I completed my M.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering at UNR and my B.Sc. in Computer Engineering at Eritrea Institute of Technology. I have received several awards for my academic and research achievements, most notably the CSE Outstanding Dissertation Award and the Graduate Dean’s Fellowship at the University of Nevada, Reno, as well as the Presidents Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Minnesota.