Ali Arya

Dr. Ali Arya is an Associate Professor at the School of Information Technology, Carleton University, Canada. His work bridges Human-Computer Interaction, Educational Technologies, and Virtual/Augmented Reality systems. Funded by NSERC, SSHRC, and OCE, he has designed graduate programs in Digital Media and organized the Global Game Jam since 2009.

• Education:
• B.Eng. Electrical Engineering, Tehran Polytechnic
• Ph.D. Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia

Research Interests:

• Immersive VR/AR for education and health
• Affective and social computing
• Personalized learning systems
• Wearable interaction technologies
• Game design and development
• 3D virtual environments

Research Trends: Recent publications focus on inclusive VR design, educational applications of immersive environments, anxiety-reduction technologies, and culturally responsive systems. His work combines machine learning, multimodal interaction, and pedagogical innovation across STEM and social contexts.

Scientific Awards:

• OCUFA Teaching Award (2023)
• Carleton Provost's Fellowship (2020)
• Faculty Teaching Excellence Award (2019)
• Graduate Mentorship Award (2019)

Professional Service: Associate Dean (2018-2022), Program Chair FDG (2021), IEEE/ACM conference committees. He maintains the Interactive Media Group (iMG) research lab and contributes to open-access educational resources including his "Anyone Can Code" book series.