MEET Jeremy Bailenson
Virtual reality is now reality – for businesses and society. Jeremy Bailenson, a pioneering expert in the field, is helping navigate today’s virtual reality storm while examining where radical new developments in the digital technology will lead us in the next 5, 50 and even 500 years.
A professor in Stanford University’s Department of Communication, he is also the founding director of the school’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, faculty director the Digital Learning Forum, and a faculty leader at the Center for Longevity. Professor Bailenson focuses on the phenomenon of digital human representation, especially in the context of immersive virtual reality. He also designs and studies collaborative virtual reality systems, which allow physically remote individuals to meet in virtual space, and explores how these systems change the nature of verbal and nonverbal interaction.
He is the co-author of “Infinite Reality,” (William Morrow, 2011), the canonical book on the psychology of virtual reality, which has had a major impact in many contexts, including corporate strategy and national security, and was recently quoted by the Supreme Court outlining the effects of immersive media. Professor Bailenson’s findings have been published in nearly 100 academic papers in the fields of communication, computer science, education, law, political science and psychology. A senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, his work has been consistently funded by the National Science Foundation for more than a decade, and he also receives grants from various Silicon Valley and international corporations. Professor Bailenson consults regularly for government agencies, including the Army, Department of Defense, National Resource Council and the National Institute of Health on policy issues surrounding virtual reality.
Professor Bailenson earned a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in cognitive psychology from Northwestern University. He spent four years at the Research Center for Virtual Environments and Behavior at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a post-doctoral fellow and then an assistant research professor.
A professor in Stanford University’s Department of Communication, he is also the founding director of the school’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, faculty director the Digital Learning Forum, and a faculty leader at the Center for Longevity. Professor Bailenson focuses on the phenomenon of digital human representation, especially in the context of immersive virtual reality. He also designs and studies collaborative virtual reality systems, which allow physically remote individuals to meet in virtual space, and explores how these systems change the nature of verbal and nonverbal interaction.
He is the co-author of “Infinite Reality,” (William Morrow, 2011), the canonical book on the psychology of virtual reality, which has had a major impact in many contexts, including corporate strategy and national security, and was recently quoted by the Supreme Court outlining the effects of immersive media. Professor Bailenson’s findings have been published in nearly 100 academic papers in the fields of communication, computer science, education, law, political science and psychology. A senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, his work has been consistently funded by the National Science Foundation for more than a decade, and he also receives grants from various Silicon Valley and international corporations. Professor Bailenson consults regularly for government agencies, including the Army, Department of Defense, National Resource Council and the National Institute of Health on policy issues surrounding virtual reality.
Professor Bailenson earned a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in cognitive psychology from Northwestern University. He spent four years at the Research Center for Virtual Environments and Behavior at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a post-doctoral fellow and then an assistant research professor.
Jeremy Bailenson SPEAKING TOPICS
Virtual Reality is Here – and You’re Not Ready
Virtual reality is quickly making its way into mainstream digital life, and the implications for business and lifestyle alike are extraordinary. Businesses that aren’t yet strategizing ways to capitalize on the immersive experiences that virtual reality will deliver are already behind, says Professor Jeremy Bailenson. A natural extension of every major technology we use today, virtual reality will be used to communicate, learn and entertain; it has the potential to transform education, preventative medicine, and just about every domain imaginable. Professor Bailenson explores the possibilities of virtual reality, and how it can – and should – be used to definitively change how people think about, purchase and interact with products and services, and the companies behind them.
Acing the Virtual Revolution of Teaching and Learning
Spurred by technology, education is on the verge of major transformation. Virtual reality will be a key part of its evolution, says Professor Jeremy Bailenson. He navigates the possibilities of virtual reality to: present complex data in accessible ways that are both fun and easy to learn; allow students to interact with objects/information in the environment; foster collaboration and social integration, among many others benefits and capabilities. Professor Bailenson explores how virtual reality will positively impact curriculum, assessment tools and student/teacher relationships, and discusses the terrific opportunity to break the boundaries of traditional education through virtual reality technology.
The Consumer Influence – and Impact – of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is powerful – and empowering. The immersive technology can be used to compel people to save more for retirement; help individuals see the benefits of a weight loss program and inspire them to stay the course; teach people how to avoid occupational hazards and adhere to safety protocol. The possibilities are infinite, and Professor Jeremy Bailenson helps organizations of every industry and audience envision the value of virtual reality. It’s no longer a question of if – it’s when, he says, and it will alter how consumers think about, purchase and interact with products and services and the companies behind them.
Virtual reality is quickly making its way into mainstream digital life, and the implications for business and lifestyle alike are extraordinary. Businesses that aren’t yet strategizing ways to capitalize on the immersive experiences that virtual reality will deliver are already behind, says Professor Jeremy Bailenson. A natural extension of every major technology we use today, virtual reality will be used to communicate, learn and entertain; it has the potential to transform education, preventative medicine, and just about every domain imaginable. Professor Bailenson explores the possibilities of virtual reality, and how it can – and should – be used to definitively change how people think about, purchase and interact with products and services, and the companies behind them.
Acing the Virtual Revolution of Teaching and Learning
Spurred by technology, education is on the verge of major transformation. Virtual reality will be a key part of its evolution, says Professor Jeremy Bailenson. He navigates the possibilities of virtual reality to: present complex data in accessible ways that are both fun and easy to learn; allow students to interact with objects/information in the environment; foster collaboration and social integration, among many others benefits and capabilities. Professor Bailenson explores how virtual reality will positively impact curriculum, assessment tools and student/teacher relationships, and discusses the terrific opportunity to break the boundaries of traditional education through virtual reality technology.
The Consumer Influence – and Impact – of Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is powerful – and empowering. The immersive technology can be used to compel people to save more for retirement; help individuals see the benefits of a weight loss program and inspire them to stay the course; teach people how to avoid occupational hazards and adhere to safety protocol. The possibilities are infinite, and Professor Jeremy Bailenson helps organizations of every industry and audience envision the value of virtual reality. It’s no longer a question of if – it’s when, he says, and it will alter how consumers think about, purchase and interact with products and services and the companies behind them.
