I am a Computer Science Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Central Florida (UCF). My research interestes are in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), extended reality (VR/AR), and Presence in Virtual Environments. I am currently researching techniques and methods to enhance an individual's sense of self-presence and spatial presence within a virtual environment in VR. I perform research within the Interactive Systems & User Experiences (ISUE) Lab. I previously received my bachelor's degree in Computer Science from UCF.
| IEEE VR '23 | Toward Intuitive Acquisition of Occluded VR Objects Through an Interactive Disocclusion Mini-map |
| VRST '22 | Carousel: Improving the Accuracy of Virtual Reality Assessments for Inspection Training Tasks |
| CHI '21 | Distance perception with a video see-through head-mounted display |
| IEEE Big Data '18 | A multi-modal approach to sensing human emotion |
| Jan '22 - Present | UCF Graduate Research Assistant (Part-Time) |
| Oct '21 - May '23 | Microsoft - Software Engineer (Full-Time) |
| May '21 - Jul '21 | Microsoft - Software Engineer Internship |
| Jan '21 - Jul '21 | Lockheed Martin CWEP Internship |
| May '19 - Aug '19 | Dept. of Army Summer Intern |
| Jun '18 - Aug '18 | FAU REU Research Assistant |
| Jun '17 - Aug '17 | FAU REU Research Assistant |
| Aug '20 - Present | Ph.D. in Computer Science |
| Aug '20 - May '23 | M.S. in Computer Science |
| Jan '18 - Aug '20 | B.S. in Computer Science |
In my free time, I enjoy various hobbies. My main hobby is kart racing where I compete in a local league in my own kart. I am also into working on cars; I am currently working on a S550 Mustang. My passion for motorsports and automobiles dates back to during High school where I partook in various clubs that exposed me to engineering with robotics, full-size electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell RC cars.
Though not reflected in my current work, I am passionate about paying it forward and teaching younger generations about STEM concepts. In High School, I took on Summer jobs that allowed me to teach kids aged 9-12 about coding, soldering, 3D CAD design, and underwater robotics.
My heritage is Filipino and Vietnamese. I am very proud of my heritage and would not be in the position that I am in if I was not instilled with the values and history of my family.
| jbelga1128@knights.ucf.edu | |
| @28thBeluga | |
| Jake Belga |