Celebrate the opening of the Allen–Davidson–Coleman XR Makerspace with an interdisciplinary XR Symposium bringing together faculty, students, and staff interested in immersive technologies for research, education, and human-centered engineering. Plus, guests will enjoy a speaker symposium, networking, and a hands-on open house with live XR demonstrations.

January 16, 2026
10:30 AM – 4:00 PM 
ISyE Main Building 

Agenda: 

10:30 AM – Noon (ISyE Main Atrium):
XR Symposium: Invited Talks - Short talks and discussion on XR research and applications across campus

Noon – 1:00 PM (ISyE Main Atrium): 
Lunch & Networking: Informal networking in the ISyE Main Atrium

1:00 – 4:00 PM (ISyE Main 115)
XR Makerspace Open House & Demos: Hands-on demonstrations, guided tours, and conversations with XR Makerspace staff and researchers

Invited Speakers:

Bruce Walker, School of Psychology & School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Tech
Talk Title: Research With, About, and In Virtual Reality: A Sample of Sonification Lab XR R&D Projects

Bio: Bruce N. Walker is Professor of Psychology and Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. His Sonification Lab studies multimodal interfaces, sonification and auditory displays, and human-technology interaction in complex tasks, futuristic technologies, and VR/AR/XR. Dr. Walker is founding Director of VRlandia, a GT shared collaboratory for VR/AR/XR research and development. He is also Director of the Center for Human-AI-Robot Interaction (CHART). He teaches HCI, Sensation & Perception, and Assistive Technology; and has consulted for NASA, state and federal governments, the military, and private companies.

Meryem Yilmaz Soylu, Center for 21st Century Universities, Georgia Tech
Talk Title: Designing Human-Centered XR for Learning, Reflection, and Skill Development

Bio: Meryem Yilmaz Soylu is a Research Scientist at Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) within the College of Lifetime Learning, where her work focuses on human-centered learning design, immersive technologies, and AI-supported educational systems. Her research examines how XR and AI can support learning experiences and engagement, leadership, and durable skills development across online and hybrid learning environments. Her work combines mixed-methods research and learner experience (UX) design to inform the design and evaluation of real-world educational systems.

Frederick Benaben, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Georgia Tech
Talk Title: A Framework for Immersive Technologies in Engineering: An Illustrated Perspective

Bio: Frederick Benaben is Tenured Full Professor at Institut Mines Telecom in France (Industrial Engineering Center) and Visiting Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the use of Artificial Intelligence and Immersive Technologies for decision support and the management of complex situations in uncertain environments. He is the head of the “Digital Systems for Crisis Management and Security” research team at IMT, directs the IOMEGA VR Lab, leads the POD (Physics of Decision) and HITeC (Hybrid Immersive Teaching Campus) initiatives, and co-directs the international SIReN Lab with Georgia Tech.

Shreyas Kousik, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Tech
Talk Title: Interactive, Data-Driven XR System for Humanoid Teleoperation

Bio: Shreyas Kousik is an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. He previously held postdoctoral appointments at Stanford University and in the NAV Lab with Prof. Grace Gao. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, advised by Prof. Ram Vasudevan in the ROAHM Lab. His research focuses on guaranteeing safety in autonomous robotic systems through collision avoidance, with an emphasis on modeling uncertainty in perception and estimation for practical planning and control on real robots.