Nonny de la Peña

Nonny de la Peña is a Professor of Practice and Program Director of ASU’s Narrative and Emerging Media program at the Sidney Poitier New American Film School. She leads a graduate program focusing on emerging media technologies in arts, culture, and nonfiction. Her work bridges journalism and immersive media, pioneering immersive journalism through virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR) storytelling. She is recognized as the 'Godmother of Virtual Reality' and has been an award-winning writer, director, and producer in digital media for over 20 years.

• Affiliations: ASU California Center, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism
• Key Roles: Founder/CEO of Emblematic Group, creator of WebVR platform REACH.Love

Her research emphasizes empathy-driven storytelling through immersive technologies, with projects like Hunger in Los Angeles (first VR at Sundance) and Use of Force (first VR at Tribeca). She holds a PhD in Media Arts and Practice from USC, and her work appears in venues like MIT’s Presence journal and TED Talks.

Awards: SXSW Hall of Fame, WSJ Innovator of the Year, Fast Company’s Creative 100, Wired Agent of Change, and multiple film festival recognitions.