Congratulations to Tom Merrick and Rajesh Pasupuleti!

Thomas Merrick, MA,  Associate Director

Tom steps into an exciting new role as Associate Director, Learning Innovation with the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC).

Tom is a seasoned educator with focus on Immersive Technologies—VR/AR and AI and Education Disruptions. He is passionate about teaching Virtual Reality while exploring innovative ways to support faculty and students in harnessing immersive technologies for transformative learning experiences. His expertise and vision are integral to our mission of reshaping education through XR.

Walt Disney Imagineering CEO Bruce Vaughn (at center) and Senior Vice President of Research +Development, Technology and Engineering Kyle Laughlin (at left)  keynote Miami XR 2026 with Conference Host Thomas Merrick (at right).

Rajesh Pasupuleti, PhD,  Associate Scientist

Rajesh advances to Associate Scientist in IDSC’s Advanced Computing Services, a well-deserved recognition of his 16 years of leadership and innovation in AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing. His diverse experience across industry and academia, including recent large language model initiatives, continues to make a significant impact on research and technology.

Rajesh’s research interests include Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Data Mining, Privacy Preserving, Business and Big Data Analytics, Information Retrieval, Cybersecurity, Large Language Models, and Generative AI.

Dr. Rajesh Pasupuleti demos the newly launched “LeBrain Jones” chatbot at IDSC Day 2026