People

  • Katherine Isbister

    Director

    Katherine Isbister, Director. Katherine Isbister is a full professor in the University of California, Santa Cruz's Department of Computational Media, where she directs the Social Emotional Technology Lab, and the Center for Computational Experience. She has a Research through Design practice at the intersection of Human Computer Interaction and Games/Play, focused on interactive experiences that heighten social and emotional connections and wellbeing. She is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, and has shown games and playful experiences at IndieCade (Yamove! and SceneSampler), as well as at museums including the San Francisco Exploratorium and the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. Her most recent book from MIT Press is How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design, winner of an American Library Association award. Isbister is a recipient of MIT Technology Review's Young Innovator Award, and is an ACM Distinguished Scientist.

    Personal page: http://www.katherineinterface.com

    Email: katherine.isbister@ucsc.edu

Doctoral Students

  • Samir Ghosh

    Ph.D. Candidate

    Samir Ghosh, Ph.D. candidate. Samir Ghosh is a computational media PhD candidate specializing in multi-user and networked XR applications, especially those with societal impact. Their interests include WebXR based development, open source, and creative code. Previously they were the Assistant Director at the Ahmanson Lab at USC, where they managed a makerspace, produced a wide array of interdisciplinary VR and AR projects, and taught practical workshops concerning generative art and rapid prototyping. They hold a BS in Computational Linguistics and a BA in Cognitive Science from USC. Email: sghosh17@ucsc.edu

  • Thaís Alvarenga

    Ph.D. Student

    Thaís Alvarenga is a Honduran interaction systems engineer, design researcher, and creative technologist focusing on playful, embodied, and community grounded technologies. Her research explores how communities interpret, hack, and repurpose technology as inspiration for new design and interaction paradigms that translate complex, abstract concepts into tangible, accessible, and emotionally resonant experiences. Her work spans XR, AI, interactive installations, games, and tangible interfaces. She holds a BA in Interactive Media from NYU and an MS in Digital Media from Georgia Tech, where she developed a large-scale ambient AI installation and VR data visualizations of quantum mechanics, and co-developed open-source AI and XR curricula for Fulton County public libraries. Her projects have been showcased in Honduras, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, and the United States.

    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thais-alvarenga-medina

    Website: https://www.thaisalvarenga.com

    Email: thais@ucsc.edu

  • Rita Aksum

    Ph.D. Student

    Rita Tesfay (She/Her) is a Ph.D. student in Computational Media at UC Santa Cruz, with a Master of Science in Integrated Design & Media from New York University. Rita’s work focuses on user-centered design and human-computer interaction, drawing on a strong academic foundation in Cognitive Science and a passion for designing innovative, impactful solutions to real-world challenges.

Master's Students

  • Erik Chao

    Masters Student

    Erik Chao is a Master’s student in Computer Science whose research interests explore how people connect and communicate within a virtual/augmented reality space. His current project includes developing a taxonomy database for VR interactions.. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from UC Santa Cruz.

    Personal Website: https://www.erikchao.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-chao-764051222/

Undergraduates

  • Shalini Raval

    Research Assistant

    Shalini Raval is an undergraduate studying Technology & Information Management and Computer Science. Her work focuses on data-driven systems, VR development, and human-centered design. She is especially interested in how infrastructure, visualization, and XR can make complex systems more accessible for diverse users.

Alumni

  • Anthony Angeles

  • Ferran Altarriba Bertran

  • Suzanne B. da Camara

  • Peter Cottrell

  • Ella Dagan

  • Jared Duval

  • Kieren Emens

  • Sean Fernandes

  • James Fey

  • Sabrina Fielder

  • Muskan Gupta

  • Linda Hirsch

  • Chen Ji

  • MJ Johns

  • Kat Kosolapova

  • Tristyn Lai

  • Charles Lesser

  • Victor Jialang Li

  • Joshua McVeigh-Schultz

  • Pardis Miri

  • Andrew Moshkovich

  • Sonia Murgesh

  • Anya Osborne

  • Alexandra Pometko

  • Raquel Robinson

  • Elena Márquez Segura

  • Samantha Wang

  • Jimmy Zhou