The First Year Directions (FYD) Project is a groundbreaking initiative designed to expose every incoming student at the University of Miami to immersive technologies. FYD offers a variety of on-and off-campus virtual experiences.
The Golden Age of the Jews of Al-Andalus experience brings this extraordinary Middle Ages chapter of history to life. Organized by Centro Sefarad-Israel and curated by the University of Granada, the traveling exhibition was brought to UM by Prof. Shai Cohen.
A collaboration with the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute yeiled a virtual classroom and a virtual, interactive Slit Lamp for first-year medical student training. Part of a new "BPEIverse", these projects symbolize a paradigm shift in health care and medical education.
Mangrove City is an immersive VR application, complemented by a robust STEM classroom curriculum, that transports middle school students into the heart of mangrove forests.
(305) 360° is a cutting-edge VR application designed to familiarize and immerse new doctors and researchers with the service area of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami.
The VR Stress Tester is designed to analyze how people respond under stress. Participants are immersed in various challenging scenarios.Researchers can alter scenarios and simultaneously track biometric data in real-time.
Temikki Garden is a mobile AR application to promote the emotional well-being of children during long hospital stays. Children can build, modify, and play in a living virtual garden while reminded of their accomplishments.
The Virtual Reality Learning Initiative (VRLI) is a University-wide initiative where professors across various disciplines use VR, and in some instances, AR, to enhance the learning experience. Ongoing research measures the impact on learning and evaluates the efficacy of these programs. As the initiative evolves, we will continue to expand the areas and list of classes where experiential learning through VR and AR technologies is utilized. With over 40 courses using XR, reaching nearly 1,000 students to date, we continue to grow and are moving toward a tipping point where immersive technologies become the norm as an educational practice.
The Virtual Experiences Simulation Lab (VESL) is central to our UMVerse initiatives, serving a dual role by offering students interdisciplinary, hands-on learning opportunities and supplying researchers with software development resources across the campus. The VESL is an innovation and experiential learning lab for immersive media projects supporting student innovation and engagement in applied research and real-world projects while fostering an inclusive, interdisciplinary community.
Collaborators and Industry Sponsors
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
UM Libraries | Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing | Lowe Art Museum
Copyright: 2025 University of Miami. All Rights Reserved.
Emergency Information
Privacy Statement & Legal Notices
Individuals with disabilities who experience any technology-based barriers accessing University websites can submit details to our online form.