Victoria Interrante

Victoria Interrante is a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for Cognitive Science at the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering. She is a leading figure in virtual reality (VR) research, focusing on enhancing spatial perception and presence in immersive environments. Her interdisciplinary collaborations span architecture, psychology, engineering, and medicine.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1996), co-advised by Henry Fuchs and Stephen Pizer

Her research applies insights from visual perception and cognition to improve VR experiences and information communication through visual imagery. She has pioneered methods for spatial understanding in architectural design and radiation therapy planning.

Professor Interrante's awards include the IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Career Award (2020) and the 1999 PECASE. She co-founded the ACM Symposium on Applied Perception and serves as co-editor-in-chief of ACM Transactions on Applied Perception. Active in IEEE VR conferences, she held leadership roles including co-general chair (2014) and steering committee member (2016–present).

Scientific Recognition:

• IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Career Award (2020)
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (1999)

She mentors graduate/undergraduate students and directs the interdisciplinary Center for Cognitive Sciences. Her work has influenced international VR research through novel representational methods and locomotion techniques in immersive environments.