Dr. Tony Liao (Ph.D, Cornell University) is an Associate Professor of Digital Media in the Information Sciences Technologies Department. He founded the CougAR lab at the University of Houston to explore how augmented reality and mixed reality technologies could affect society now and in the future. The lab offers research assistants access to some of the most cutting edge augmented and virtual reality devices, and welcomes any UH students interested in conductin g research studies, developing AR/VR technologies, and getting hands on experience with emerging technology.
Dr. Liao brings over a decade of experience of studying AR/VR technologies, and his research has been published in leading academic outlets such as New Media & Society, Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, Information, Communication, & Society, Social Media & Society, Science, Technology, & Human Values, Mobile Media & Communication, Information and Organization, Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, Communication Studies, the International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (SIGCHI), Ethics and Information Technology, Journal of Communication Pedagogy, and First Monday.
His work on the future of AR technologies, how AR affects people’s sense of space/place, how people interact and communicate through various cues in mixed reality environments, has been covered in Bloomberg, Flaunt Magazine, Undark Magazine, NewCo, and several other media outlets. He has also appeared as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Cornell’s Institute for the Social Sciences, and the Taft Foundation at the University of Cincinnati, and he has been invited to given talks at the Hewlett Packard Data Science Institute, National Taiwan University, National Chengchi University, and several other academic and industry conferences all over the world.
Dr. Liao earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, masters degreefrom Cornell University, and a Ph.D in Communication from Cornell University. Prior to coming to the University of Houston, Dr. Liao has held faculty appointments at Temple University and the University of Cincinnati.
He is always looking to work with students in the CougAR Lab, and many former students have continued to do research as tenure track professors as well as work for corporate research teams such as Meta Reality Labs. Please feel free to contact him and reach out about any questions/opportunities regarding the CougAR Lab at tcliao@uh.edu
Spencer McLain Bennett, Ph.D. received his doctorate from the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University. He is currently the Senior Research Associate in the CougAR Lab at the University of Houston and teaches courses in Simulation and Gaming and Augmented/Virtual Reality. His research has been published in the Journal of Media Psychology, Mobile Media & Communication, and explores the use of augmented and virtual reality for fostering empathy and perspective-taking. He also studies the cultural, social, and educational impacts of video games.
Afaf is currently a senior at the University of Houston pursuing a degree in Digital Media. She is a research lead with a specific interest in the impact of VR/AR pets on stress and anxiety. Additionally, she has a passion for social media and digital marketing and hopes to implement aspects of AR/VR into these fields.
Shawheen is a PhD student in the Department of Computer Engineering at Houston University. His research interests include augmented reality and virtual reality and AI implementations in XR. His hobbies include but are not limitedto running, bike riding, and outdoor activities.
Sammy is a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at the University of Houston. His research interests are in Human-Computer Interaction and Extended Reality. His hobbies are cyber security, sports, and skydiving.
Rania is a senior majoring in Digital Media with a passion for immersive technology and inclusive storytelling. As a research assistant at the CougAR Lab, she is currently contributing to an ethnographic study that explores how large virtual organizations, such as XR Women, navigate technological challenges in VR to build meaningful organizational cultures and collaborative remote environments. Her interests include digital marketing, UX/UI, and graphic design.
Daniel is a sophomore majoring in Digital Media. Within the CougAR lab, he serves as a research assistant, focusing on the intersection of sound with VR/AR and its impact on user experience. Additionally, he has an interest in graphic design.
Emina is a senior majoring in Digital Media at the University of Houston. Within the CougAR lab, she serves as the website manager, responsible for keeping the site up to date and creating content for our social media platforms. Her interests include Digital Communications, Web Design, and Journalism.
Ricardo is majoring in Digital Media at University of Houston. He's a member of the creative media team, working to create meaningful videos that hope to engage and educate our audience. His interests include Digital Marketing, Motion Media, and Graphic Design.
Madeline is a sophomore at the University of Houston majoring in Digital Media. At the CougAR Lab she is a part of the Creative and Media team, assisting with the marketing of the lab and creation of social media posts. Additionally, she has interests in digital marketing, UX/UI, and graphic design.
Maurizio is a senior majoring in Digital Media at the University of Houston. He is a member of both the creative media and development teams, working to create research materials for the lab and gather content for our social media platforms. His interests include graphic design, motion media, social media management, and Unity development.
Sofia is a senior at the University of Houston majoring in Digital Media. At the CougAR Lab, she is part of the Creative and Media team, where she assists with marketing initiatives and creation of social media content. She manages the content calendar and tracks LinkedIn impressions and engagement metrics to support strategic growth. Sofia has a strong interest in content strategy, UX design, and digital marketing
