Richard (Rick) Skarbez
Since 2005, I have been doing research with advanced computing technologies, with a specific focus on virtual reality (VR). These technologies are already changing how we play, work, and live, and I am passionate about making sure that these changes improve our lives.
As of 1 January 2024, I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. Before moving to Australia, in 2017-2018, I was a postdoctoral associate in the Virginia Tech Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, working under the supervision of Prof. Joseph L. Gabbard. Before that, I did my PhD research with the Effective Virtual Environments research group at the University of North Carolina Department of Computer Science. My dissertation, "Plausibility Illusion in Virtual Environments," was completed under the supervision of Mary C. Whitton and Frederick P. Brooks, Jr. (RIP) It was selected as 2018 VGTC Virtual Reality Best Dissertation Honorable Mention at IEEE VR 2019. Long before that, I earned my BS (Hons) from Penn State in Computer Engineering, and even before that, I was born and raised in Forest City, Pennsylvania, USA.
I also have a beautiful wife, a ragdoll cat, and way too many boardgames.