Call for Posters and Demos for IDSC Day 2027 on 1/22

Carolina Cruz-Neira, PhD

Executive Director, Institute for Simulation and Training
Executive Director, Pegasus Research Institute
University of Central Florida
Member, National Academy of Engineering

Dr. Cruz-Neira is a pioneer in the areas of virtual reality (VR), interactive visualization, and digital twins. Her innovations have been instrumental in facilitating data analysis, decision-making, design reviews, and training and education, and her work has evolved into standard tools used in industry, government, and academia.

Dr. Cruz-Neira is known worldwide for being the creator of the CAVE VR system, for transferring research into practice by spearheading Open-Source initiatives, and by supporting entrepreneurial initiatives to commercialize research.

Recognized for founding successful applied research centers: the Virtual Reality Applications Center at Iowa State University, the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise, and the Emerging Analytics Center at the University of Arkansas, her research leadership has received recognition from major companies for increasing product safety and improving design and production processes that have saved time, lives, and millions of dollars.

Dr. Cruz-Neira enjoys intersecting her research with the arts and the humanities through dance performances and museum installations. She serves on national and international technology boards as well as government technology advisory committees. Her life’s work addressing large problems through interdisciplinary teams has become a key to innovation and is considered standard practice in driving American competitiveness in the global economy.

Honors and Awards

• Named Forbes Magazine 50 over 50 Innovators of 2025 and one of the top three greatest women visionaries in VR
• First person inducted into the National Academy of Engineering for immersive technologies and VR
• Inducted to the U.S. Congressional Record
• IEEE Fellow and Member, IEEE VR Academy
• IEEE VR Technical Achievement and Lifetime Achievement Awards
• ACM Computer Pioneer
• Member, AWE XR Hall of Fame
• Member, Modeling and Simulation Hall of Fame
• International Digital Media & Arts Society Distinguished Career Award

Eric W. Shamlin

Founder, Firebringer.ai

Governor, The Television Academy
Founding Chair, The Television Academy AI Task Force

Adjunct Professor, USC School of Cinematic Arts

Eric is a writer, producer, technologist, and researcher working at the intersection of entertainment, emerging technology, and business. A four-time Emmy winner and Peabody and Cannes Lions honoree, he is Founder of FireBringer and a Governor of the Television Academy, where he is Founding Chair of its AI Task Force and has hosted its AI Summit for the past two years. A leading advocate for the human-centered, ethical adoption of AI, he serves as a delegate to the Creators Coalition on AI and is an Adjunct Professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he teaches The Future of AI Media.Writer, producer, technologist, and award-winning executive working at the frontier of AI, entertainment, and enterprise transformation.

Panel

Jacqueline LeMoigne, PhD | MODERATOR

Visiting Professor | Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami

Dr. Jacqueline Le Moigne received a B.S. and a M.S. in Mathematics, as well as a Ph.D. in Computer Science (specialty: Computer Vision, Artificial Intelligence and Pattern Recognition) from the University Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC), Paris, France, now known as Sorbonne Université. Jacqueline Le Moigne Ph.D.’s thesis dealt with biomedical imagery, designing, and implementing new pattern recognition algorithms to classify up to ten different classes of blood platelets.

Until April 2025, she was Lead of the Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Intelligent Systems Technology (IST) Group and Manager of the Advanced Modeling Technology (AMT) Program. She was previously ESTO’s Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) Program Manager. ESTO is the Technology Branch of the Earth Science Division in NASA HQ’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). In this position, she has been developing the overall strategy for identifying, maturing and supporting the adoption of the software and information systems technologies as well as novel computer science tools expected to be needed by the Earth Science Division in the 5-10-year timeframe.

After coming to NASA Goddard in 1990 as a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) National Research Council Senior Research Associate, Jacqueline Le Moigne was a Senior Scientist for the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a Senior Computer Scientist in the Goddard Earth and Space Data and Computing Division of the Science Directorate, Head of the Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch of the Engineering Directorate from 2005 to 2007, and then Assistant Chief for Technology in the Software Engineering Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from 2007 to 2018. As such, she was the main POC for and led the technology strategic vision, goals and objectives of the Division. She also worked with NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Space Technology Research Grants (STRG) Program, for which she was the Transitions and Topic Selection Manager. From 2010 to 2014, she was also involved in the development of the Space Technology Roadmap for NASA’s Office of Chief Technologist (OCT); she was one of the few multi-center team members developing Technology Area-11 (TA-11) 2011 and 2014 roadmaps focusing on “Modeling, Simulation, Information Technology and Processing.”

Azizi A. Seixas, PhD | PANELIST

Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami
Interim Chair, Department of Informatics and Health Data Science, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami

Director, IDSC Population Health Informatics
Director, The Media and Innovation Lab (“The MIL”)
Associate Director, Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences

Azizi Seixas, PhD came to the University of Miami from New York University Medical School. A Sleep and Circadian Sciences expert, Dr. Seixas is also an innovator, scientist, thought leader, and technologist. Voted one of the top 100 most inspiring Black Scientists in America by Cell Press, he believes in health and wellness for all through disruptive and scalable innovation. Dr. Seixas has authored over 150 high-impact publications, book chapters, and conference presentations, and his work appears in media outlets like CBS, CNN, NBC, Associated Press, and The Guardian.

A Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine,  Dr. Seixas is also Director of The Media and Innovation Lab (“The MIL”). Launched in December 2021, The MIL is an ambitious endeavor to innovate, accelerate, and disseminate accessible and effective health and wellness technologies. The MIL is focused on five key components of academic medicine, including: medical education, clinical care, research, community service and outreach, and venture opportunities. With these pillars in mind, at The MIL Dr. Seixas will drive transformative health care innovation and outcomes for South Florida, the region, and the global community.

For the past 10 years, Dr. Seixas has conducted extensive research on the multilevel determinants of brain and mental health, aging, and cardiovascular disease disparities, the long-term health consequences of cardiovascular disease and brain health disparities, and developing adaptive, group-tailored, and personalized behavior modification interventions. Dr. Seixas has also explored the use of machine learning analytical tools and AI to improve health and well-being—work he plans on furthering at The MIL. (Read more at INVENTUM.)

 Kim Grinfeder | PANELIST

University Lead, UMverse (XR Initiatives)
Professor and Chair, Department of Interactive Media, School of Communication, University of Miami

Director, IDSC Creative Technologies
Director, The VESL (Virtual Experiences Simulation Lab)

Kim Grinfeder is a multidisciplinary media producer and designer who uses emergent technologies to practice new ways to communicate social and environmental issues.

Kim completed his undergraduate degree in history and with a background in photography, design, and business. After graduating, he spent seven years in NYC working at media startups and fortune 500 companies. He received a master’s degree from New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program in 2001.

In 2003, Kim joined the Visual Journalism program at the University of Miami. Today, he is an associate professor and teaches immersive storytelling, digital media, web design, and emerging narratives. He founded the Department of Interactive Media after establishing a successful M.F.A. and a B.S.C. in Interactive Media. His work has been recognized at film and technology festivals globally, but he’s most proud of his students’ accomplishments.