By training, I’m a human-centered computing scientist, with past experience in engineering, research, and policy. Human-centered computing is like HCI, but more centered on the human.
At Apple, I’m an engineer working where AI meets both, spatial and audio.
My earlier roles were in research and ethics at Meta Reality Labs, Microsoft Research, and a few other places.
I earned my PhD in Human-Centered Computing from Clemson University; my dissertation centered on youth in social VR. My undergraduate work was in computer science and Spanish, at Sewanee.
I have broad interests and experience across human-computer interaction (obviously ai + Human interactivity), evaluation of AI systems, and the policy questions that come with new computing platforms.
Each role followed the last track — I’ve come to think the skill isn’t planning, it’s staying alert enough to notice what’s arriving, accepting it without fighting, and then going all in. With a sprinkle of cautious optimism, of course.
“I don’t know where I’m going, but I know exactly how to get there.”
— Renias Mhlongo, via Boyd Varty, The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life
Leading product strategy, research, development, and evaluation for AI-mediated spatial and audio experiences. Defined a new discipline and emerging role in the org — Research Engineering — and currently driving model evaluation across experiences.
Led Vision Pro launch research end-to-end and transitioned a research project into a shipped product feature. Submitted three patents and presented findings to executive leadership. Created an R&D prototype, then was asked by leadership to move to engineering to lead the development and direction.
Worked on Intelligent AI — before LLMs and transformers, we were more collaborative with AI, and wanted to learn how to increase this collaboration.
Consulted on privacy, safety, and ethics for an undisclosed project involving always-on AI-powered wearables.
Worked on an undisclosed project, leveraging expertise in AR/VR and ethical design to shape the future roadmap. Pittsburgh was a blast with Elaine Fath and Yaser Sheikh.
Built an MVP to help co-workers connect during COVID. Awarded an Epic Games MegaGrant and invited to interview at Y Combinator.
Researched initiatives to increase empathy in the world — Sid Suri pushed me to be the best version of myself.
Created VR experiences for social media education for youth, working with Dr. Desmond Patton and Dr. Courtney Cogburn in Columbia’s SAFElab.
Top 1% of CS PhD students. 20+ peer-reviewed publications. Over $320K in fellowship funding, including the Microsoft Ada Lovelace Fellowship. Graduated with internships at Meta Reality Labs, Microsoft, and Microsoft Research. Advised by Andrew Robb and Guo Freeman.
Research in augmented reality and social computing. Worked with Amber Case — she showed me the world beyond traditional research and practical application.
Designed experiments for social presence in AR, built environments in Unity for Oculus Rift and Microsoft HoloLens. Published at ICAT-EGVE 2016 and CASA 2017. Mentored by Kangsoo Kim and Greg Welch — legends in the VR world, also fun guys.
Created VR worlds with Oculus DK2, designed experiments on vection, and presented a poster at IEEE VR 2016. This was the turning point — where I found the work. Forever grateful to Bobby Bodenheimer for taking a chance on a young, scrappy kid and planting a seed whose shade he may never sit under.
NCAA Football Captain. Order of the Gownsmen. Student Government Director of Communications. Built a 2D web game for the annual fund, did IT support, tutored Java. Just had fun, had no idea I’d end up in research.