Maria Zelenskaya

Maria Zelenskaya is an Associate Lecturer in the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), affiliated with the School of Creative Arts and the Film, Screen & Animation department. Her work bridges practical animation expertise with research in interactive and participatory design, virtual production, and sign-language avatars. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy and dual Bachelor of Animation degrees from Griffith University.

Research Interests: Maria's research focuses on real-time animation, performance capture, and the application of digital humans in accessibility (e.g., Auslan avatars), co-design methodologies, and virtual production. Her projects emphasize collaboration with communities and industry, such as developing assistive technologies for railway travel and Koala conservation advocacy.

Advising & Grants: Currently supervising research students in topics like virtual reality for trauma recovery and Auslan avatars for youth. Active in research centers like the Design Lab. Collaborates with organizations like the Jamieson Trauma Institute and Sydney Trains.

Labs/Teams: Involved in interdisciplinary teams across QUT's creative industries, focusing on virtual production and accessibility technologies. Member of ACM SIGGRAPH and the Society of Animation Studies.