Mehrasa Alizadeh

I am a PhD candidate at Takemura Lab, Informedia Education Division, Cybermedia Center, Osaka University. I hold a BA in English Language and Literature and an MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran. I taught English at Iran Language Institute (ILI) for eight years. In 2013, I was offered the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship and moved to Japan the following year. My main research interests include computer assisted language learning (CALL), online course development/quality assessment, and AV/VR application in language education. My PhD research is focused on developing a blended Academic English course targeting Japanese undergraduates at Osaka University. 

I work as the treasurer for MAVR SIG. 

Josh Brunotte

I am an associate professor at Aichi Prefectural University. I am currently undertaking research in the field of CALL and the use of virtual reality in the classroom, as well as health-related behaviors and their effect on classroom achievement. 

Adam Dabrowski

I am a PhD candidate in Education with a concentration in Applied Linguistics at Temple University Japan, Tokyo. I hold a BA in Art from Marylhurst University, Oregon and an MSEd in TESOL from Temple University Japan, Tokyo. I teach academic and general English courses at The University of Electro-Communications as well as at Nihon University. I have been living in Japan since 2012. My current research interests include augmented reality as applied to second language vocabulary study. My PhD is focused on exploring how physical context, embodied cognition, and spatialization aid the retention of vocabulary.

Rob Figueroa

I am an associate professor at the University of the Philippines (UP).  I am serving as the director of the Immersive Open Pedagogies Program (iop.upou.edu.ph) and one of the deputy directors of the Center of Open and Digital Teaching and Learning at our cyber campus -The UP Open University (upou.edu.ph).  I got my PhD in Educational Technology at the International Christian University (ICU), Tokyo, Japan. I served as a researcher and lecturer at the same university during my stay in Japan.  My research interests revolve around VR photo-based tours in education. My recent publications featured VR photo-based tours in the context of language education (https://doi.org/10.26913/avant.202208) and investigating the relationship between spatial presence and motivation ( https://doi.org/10.1108/AAOUJ-12-2022-0171). 

I was given the privilege to serve as a MAVR SIG's Program Chair.

Eric Hawkinson

Born in Wisconsin and raised in the deserts of Arizona. Having a professional background in IT Eric is taking everything ‘techie’ and turning it towards educating students. He now works and lives in northern Kyoto prefecture, Japan currently focusing on games based learning, electronic informal learning environments and eTourism.  Eric has been innovating ways to apply augmented reality to a variety of fields including tourism and education. Eric is also director of interactive at TEDxKyoto where he has designed a variety of digital and non-digital informal learning environments. Eric's most recent projects involve the use of TED in education and the implementation of augmented reality in learning environments. Find out more about Eric and his projects at http://erichawkinson.com