Miami XR 2025

Miami XR 2025 signature image Miami XR 2025 signature image

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

 

UMverse at the University of Miami invites you to dive into the cutting-edge world of XR at Miami XR 2025 on Thursday and Friday, February 6+7. Join industry experts, tech visionaries, artists, and university scholars from around the globe to explore the latest trends and innovations in XR technology.

In-person and virtual participation are available—bringing the future to you, wherever you are!

Register Now

register now button$30.00 per person (both days included) • Free for UM Faculty, Staff, and Students. Using your miami.edu email, please contact idsc@miami.edu for the PROMO CODE.

Call for Presentations + Proposals

Are you pushing the boundaries of XR innovation? Miami XR 2025 is seeking proposals for presentations, workshops, and discussions that showcase cutting-edge work in the XR field. Whether you're developing groundbreaking applications, conducting research, or reimagining immersive experiences, we want to hear from you!

If your proposal is accepted, we’ll follow up with all the details you’ll need to prepare for presenting at the event. This is your chance to share insights, inspire others, and connect with a global community of XR enthusiasts.

submit proposal buttonSubmission Deadline: January 31, 2025

Submit your proposal today and be a part of shaping the future of XR.

Agenda

Day 1 Thursday 2/6/2025 • Shalala Student Center Complex
1330 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | Directions + Parking

5:00 PM Registrations Opens
5:30 PM Student Welcome Remarks | Mia Uy
5:40 PM Welcome Remarks | Provost Willy Prado
5:50 PM Faculty Welcome Remarks | Kim Grinfeder
5:55 PM Intro to XR at the U | Thomas Merrick

6:05 PM Lightning Talks
6:20 PM SPEAKER | Dan O'Brien
7:00-8:00 PM Networking Cocktails at The Rathskeller

University of Miami Shalala Student Center Complex, 1330 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Day 2 Friday 2/7/2025 • Newman Alumni Center (Multipurpose ABC)
6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | Directions + Parking

9:00 AM Registration Opens | BREAKFAST and POSTERS
10:00 AM Welcome Remarks | Mia Uy
10:10 AM Lightning Talks
10:30 AM KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Jeremy Bailenson
11:15 AM Break
11:35 AM PANEL: Jobs in XR | John Cunningham
12:15 PM LUNCH and DEMOS | Bryson Rudolph
1:30 PM Lightning Talks
1:50 PM SPEAKER: Carolina Cruz Neira
2:35 PM Break
3:00 PM PANEL: Recent Grads in Industry
3:45 PM Closing Remarks | Kim Grinfeder
4:00-5:00 PM Cocktail Reception

University of Miami Newman Alumni Center, 6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Keynote Speakers

Jeremy Bailenson

Jeremy Bailenson

Founding Director, Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab

Jeremy Bailenson is the founding director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Thomas More Storke Professor in the Department of Communication, Professor (by courtesy) of Education, Professor (by courtesy) Program in Symbolic Systems, and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. He served as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication for over a decade.

He earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1994 and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Northwestern University in 1999. He spent four years at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as a Post-Doctoral Fellow and then an Assistant Research Professor. Read More

 

 

Carolina Cruz NeiraCarolina Cruz-Neira

Agere Chair in Computer Science, University of Central Florida
Steering Committee member, NSF Big Data South Hub
Inventor of the CAVE Virtual Reality System

XR Hall of Fame Inductee

Carolina Cruz-Neira is a pioneering computer scientist and a leading figure in virtual reality, known for inventing the CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE). She currently serves as the Agere Chair Professor in Computer Science at the University of Central Florida, where she co-leads the UCF Digital Twin Strategic Initiative and heads the VARLab. Cruz-Neira’s contributions to real-time visualization, VR frameworks, and immersive technologies have earned her numerous accolades, including membership in the National Academy of Engineering and the XR Hall of Fame. Her work bridges engineering, art, and education, inspiring advancements in virtual environments and interactive applications worldwide.

 

 Daniel O'Brien, Keynote Speaker, University of Miami, Miami XR 2025 event

Daniel O’Brien

President, Americas | HTC VIVE 

Daniel is a seasoned technology executive with over 24 years of experience in leading and managing the commercialization of emerging technologies, innovations, and solutions for consumers and professional customers. He is the HTC VIVE President for the Americas, overseeing the sales, marketing, product, and operations for the immersive and wireless divisions of HTC.

As a humanity mission driven leader, Daniel is focused on delivering revenue growth, brand building, e-commerce strategies, business development, content creation, and strategic partnerships for HTC VIVE, the pioneer and global leader in virtual reality. He has a proven track record of defining and executing the channel strategy, marketing strategy, product management, supply chain, and public relations for HTC VIVE.

Speakers

John Cunningham

President, Virtualware USA COO, VR/AR Association

Denise Mendez

Principle Software Engineer, Microsoft Mixed Reality

Sofia Perez-Baux

Project Manager, Xennial | UM Graduate May 2024

Matthew Sanders

Education and VR Director, Global Affairs | Meta

Sadah Espii Proctor

Director, Immersive Media at South Florida PBS

Conference Organizers

Thomas Merrick

Senior Project Manager, University XR Initiatives 
Lecturer, Department of Interactive Media

Mia Uy

Interactive Media and CS Major, Class of 2026
Project manager, The Virtual Experiences Simulation Lab
Co-founder and President of Kappa Theta Pi

Kim Grinfeder

University XR Lead
Chair & Professor, Department of Interactive Media
Director of the Virtual Experiences Simulation Lab
Director of the Creative Technologies Program at the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing

Anna Muller Queiroz

Associate Professor, UM School of Communication Department of Interactive Media
Core Faculty Member, UM IDSC Creative Technologies program
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