Elizabeth Stringer

Elizabeth Stringer, Ph.D., serves as Director of Academics and Faculty at SMU Guildhall and the AT&T Virtualization Center, Southern Methodist University. With over 12 years of industry experience shipping 30+ commercial game titles, she bridges professional game development expertise with academic leadership in VR/AR innovation and educational technology.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication, University of Texas at Dallas
• M.Ed., Southern Methodist University
• B.A. Communications, University of Southern California

Research Interests: Dr. Stringer pioneers virtual reality behavioral studies examining racial discrimination impacts and game-based learning frameworks centered on self-efficacy theory. Her work integrates emotional intelligence training in VR environments with constructivist educational practices to develop authentic dyadic interactions through anthropomorphoid avatars, advancing applications in psychological research and professional training.

Scientific Awards:

• APA Journal Editor's Choice for "Effects of racial discrimination on stress, negative emotions, and alcohol craving" (American Psychological Association)

Advising and Grants: Mentored 1,000+ graduate students through SMU Guildhall's Production specialization program she founded. Secured National Science Foundation and DARPA funding for educational games addressing math instruction, teacher training, and conflict resolution. Currently developing VR/AR projects with SMU Psychology and Simmons School of Education.

Labs and Teams: Leads research at AT&T Virtualization Center using "living laboratory" team production courses to innovate creative team dynamics. Collaborates across SMU departments on VR behavioral simulators that enable safe emotional expression practice through hybrid orthosocial-parasocial relationships in virtual environments.