Virtual reality affords visualization of spatial and temporal information in three-dimensional space. It also supports human factors and ergonomics research that may not always be attainable due to the constraints of the physical environment.
In this talk, Chen will discuss the concept of virtual embodiment and embodied cognition in virtual reality. Specifically, two applications will be presented. First, research on the integration of theory-driven and usability-focused design specifications for embodied learning will be presented. Next, in a very different application – virtual embodiment to influence implicit biases will be discussed.



Presenter Bio:
Chen received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015 (M.S. 2010 UW-Madison, B.S. 2009 UW-Madison), with an emphasis on human factors, virtual reality, and human-technology interfaces. She was a postdoctoral researcher in the Healthcare Systems Engineering Institute at Northeastern University. She joined North Carolina State University in August 2016, and she currently directs Virtual and Augmented Reality Laboratory at North Carolina State University (go.ncsu.edu/chen).
Chen is funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) and by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). She is a faculty of the occupational safety and ergonomics (OSE) program of the NC Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center (ERC). She also collaborates with The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina for industry projects. Her work on virtual and mixed reality technologies is also disseminated via local media (WRAL5, CW22), outreach for K-12 students underrepresented in STEM, and panels at North Carolina Comicon.