A celebration of the talent and legacy of animation.
Explore the world of digital identities and avatars.
Drawing inspiration from personal experiences and the metaverse, presenters Benny Crosier, Danny Pimentel, and Lauren Cheatham delve into the realms of self-expression, confidence-building, and identity matchmaking. From fashion trends to the importance of clarity and equity in the metaverse, they navigate the evolving landscape.
The discussion extends to long-term media trends, the intersection of virtual spaces with sustainability topics, and the potential of AR and VR for impactful learning experiences and highlight how platforms like Roblox are fostering STEM education, and discuss the role of technology, culture, and storytellers in shaping a brighter future.
Cover Image: Generated using Magic Studio™.
SPEAKERS
Benny Crosier
Quantitative UX Researcher // Meta Reality Labs
Mixed methods researcher lifting people up at scale with design and social science.
Danny Pimentel
Assistant Professor // University of Oregon
(Project SHELL)
Daniel Pimentel is an Assistant Professor of Immersive Media Psychology at the School of Journalism and Communication in Portland. Daniel’s research primarily focuses on cross-reality (XR) media platforms: virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Specifically, he conducts experimental research examining how XR storytelling experiences can contribute to prosocial attitude and behavior change across various contexts, including climate action, wildlife conservation, and mental/physical well-being.
His XR projects and prototypes have been funded by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI), and the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC). His work has also been featured in peer-reviewed journals such as New Media and Society, and reputed technology conferences such as Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHIPLAY), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Games, Entertainment and Media (IEEE GEM), and IEEE VR. Daniel also carries several years of XR industry serving as a researcher at various technology companies, including Magic Leap, XR Americas (New York), and Yellow Wood Immersive Media (Miami).
Daniel is a proud McKnight Doctoral fellow and member of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.
Lauren Cheatham
Principal Quantitative UX Researcher // Roblox
Lauren Cheatham is a behavioral scientist and Principal Quantitative Researcher leading creator and engine research at Roblox. She received her PhD in consumer behavior at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and also has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Northwestern University. Prior to Roblox, Lauren was a quantitative researcher at both Instagram and Apple and spent a couple of years as a Professor of Marketing at the University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business. She started her career as a professional equestrian, obviously.
Dr. Cheatham regularly guest lectures at top Business Schools on the intersection of behavioral science and industry, most recently speaking at Columbia Business School, Wharton, and USC's Marshall School of Business.
MODERATOR
Su Skerl
Centre For Digital Media
In her Strategic Partnerships and faculty roles at Vancouver's Centre for Digital Media, Su spends much of her time networking and mentoring to support everyone around her on their epic career journeys. Over 20+ years, she has held creative, production, and operations leadership roles in industry and agency settings - guiding indies to scale and supporting established companies through challenging periods of intense change. She has excellent strategic sense, and the ability to drop into the most difficult situations and successfully align company, creative, and cultural dynamics.
A firm believer in servant leadership, she pairs principled business and strategic expertise with empathy and soft skills. As a key contributor to numerous volunteer-led and industry organizations, Su is a tireless promoter for diversity, equity, and inclusion in strengthening creative communities.
A celebration of the talent and legacy of animation.
Explore the world of digital identities and avatars.
Drawing inspiration from personal experiences and the metaverse, presenters Benny Crosier, Danny Pimentel, and Lauren Cheatham delve into the realms of self-expression, confidence-building, and identity matchmaking. From fashion trends to the importance of clarity and equity in the metaverse, they navigate the evolving landscape.
The discussion extends to long-term media trends, the intersection of virtual spaces with sustainability topics, and the potential of AR and VR for impactful learning experiences and highlight how platforms like Roblox are fostering STEM education, and discuss the role of technology, culture, and storytellers in shaping a brighter future.
Cover Image: Generated using Magic Studio™.
SPEAKERS
Benny Crosier
Quantitative UX Researcher // Meta Reality Labs
Mixed methods researcher lifting people up at scale with design and social science.
Danny Pimentel
Assistant Professor // University of Oregon
(Project SHELL)
Daniel Pimentel is an Assistant Professor of Immersive Media Psychology at the School of Journalism and Communication in Portland. Daniel’s research primarily focuses on cross-reality (XR) media platforms: virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Specifically, he conducts experimental research examining how XR storytelling experiences can contribute to prosocial attitude and behavior change across various contexts, including climate action, wildlife conservation, and mental/physical well-being.
His XR projects and prototypes have been funded by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI), and the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC). His work has also been featured in peer-reviewed journals such as New Media and Society, and reputed technology conferences such as Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHIPLAY), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Games, Entertainment and Media (IEEE GEM), and IEEE VR. Daniel also carries several years of XR industry serving as a researcher at various technology companies, including Magic Leap, XR Americas (New York), and Yellow Wood Immersive Media (Miami).
Daniel is a proud McKnight Doctoral fellow and member of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.
Lauren Cheatham
Principal Quantitative UX Researcher // Roblox
Lauren Cheatham is a behavioral scientist and Principal Quantitative Researcher leading creator and engine research at Roblox. She received her PhD in consumer behavior at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and also has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Northwestern University. Prior to Roblox, Lauren was a quantitative researcher at both Instagram and Apple and spent a couple of years as a Professor of Marketing at the University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business. She started her career as a professional equestrian, obviously.
Dr. Cheatham regularly guest lectures at top Business Schools on the intersection of behavioral science and industry, most recently speaking at Columbia Business School, Wharton, and USC's Marshall School of Business.
MODERATOR
Su Skerl
Centre For Digital Media
In her Strategic Partnerships and faculty roles at Vancouver's Centre for Digital Media, Su spends much of her time networking and mentoring to support everyone around her on their epic career journeys. Over 20+ years, she has held creative, production, and operations leadership roles in industry and agency settings - guiding indies to scale and supporting established companies through challenging periods of intense change. She has excellent strategic sense, and the ability to drop into the most difficult situations and successfully align company, creative, and cultural dynamics.
A firm believer in servant leadership, she pairs principled business and strategic expertise with empathy and soft skills. As a key contributor to numerous volunteer-led and industry organizations, Su is a tireless promoter for diversity, equity, and inclusion in strengthening creative communities.
