People

Directors

Michael Beyeler

Director, ReCVEB
Associate Director, ReCVEB (2019-2026)
Associate Professor, Computer Science, Psychological & Brain Sciences

3201B BioEngineering

Director of ReCVEB and Associate Professor of Computer Science and Psychological & Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara. His research combines computational neuroscience, AI, and immersive technology to develop new approaches to sight restoration and visual accessibility.

Future of Interactive Technologies Low Vision & Sight Restoration

Board Members

Mary Hegarty

Former Director, ReCVEB (2018-2026)
Distinguished Professor Emerita, Psychological & Brain Sciences

3812 Psychology East

Professor Emerita of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara and served as Director of ReCVEB from 2018 to June 2026. Her research examines spatial thinking, visualization, navigation, and how people interpret diagrams, graphs, maps, and other visual-spatial displays.

Navigation and Spatial Cognition Education and Training

Walid Afifi

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Professor, Department of Communication

SSMS 4129

Effects of chronic uncertainty on responses to threat.

Social Interactions and Communication

Tamara Afifi

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Professor, Department of Communication

Interpersonal Communication, Family Communication, Stress and Communication; Biosocial Markers of Stress, Resilience and Thriving; Inform

Social Interactions and Communication

Andy Beall

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
CEO, Worldviz

CEO and CTO of Worldviz, a company that designs and creates cutting edge VR technology.

Social Interactions and Communication Future of Interactive Technologies

Jim Blascovich

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Distinguished Professor, Psychological & Brain Sciences

Psychology East 3839

Social motivation, and social influence within technologically mediated environments.

Social Interactions and Communication

Nancy Collins

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Professor, Psychological & Brain Sciences

Psychology East 3815

Interface of close relationships, social cognition, and health psychology.

Social Interactions and Communication

Shelly Gable

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Chair, Psychological & Brain Sciences

Psychology East, Room 1823

Appetitive and aversive motivation in social interaction and close relationships. How approach and avoidance social motives contribute to the course and quality of social interactions and close relationships. The positive aspects of close relationships and their role in physical and emotional health.

Tobias Höllerer

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Professor, Computer Science

Harold Frank Hall 2155

Augmented reality, Virtual Reality, Real-Time Vision, Visualization, and Interactive Data Mining

Education and Training Future of Interactive Technologies

Richard Mayer

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Distinguished Professor, Psychological & Brain Sciences

Psychology East 3841

Evidence-based principles for the design of effective learning experiences with science simulations and games in VR.

Education and Training

Misha Sra

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Assistant Professor, Computer Science

Perception, Interaction Design, Machine Learning, Applications

Education and Training Future of Interactive Technologies

Yon Visell

Advisory Board, ReCVEB
Assistant Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Assistant Professor, Media Arts & Technology

Elings Hall 2213

Future of interactive technologies, with emphasis on haptics, robotics, and electronics.

Future of Interactive Technologies

Graduate Students

Tikal Catena

Graduate Student

Mitch Munns

Graduate Student
Psychological & Brain Science

connection between different components of spatial cognition, i.e. navigating vs. mentally rotating an object vs. interpreting a graph, and how all of this relates to learning and memory.

Navigation and Spatial Cognition Education and Training