Dr. Andrew Raij, Ph.D.
Orlando, Florida, United States of
America
Principal Research Scientist and Lab
Director | VR, AR, MR, XR, Spatial
Computing, Immersive Technologies
Experience
Draper Laboratory
Principal Member of
Technical Staff / January, 2021 —
Present
Universal Studios /
NBCUniversal
Technical Program
Manager / December, 2016 —
November, 2020
University of Central
Florida
Research Associate
Professor / March, 2015 —
September, 2016
University of South Florida
Assistant Professor /
Director of PIE Lab / December, 2010 —
March, 2015
University of Memphis
Post Doctoral Fellow / June, 2009 —
December, 2010
University of Florida
Graduate Research Assistant
/ Postdoctoral
Researcher / June, 2004 —
June, 2009
Research Expertise
Human-Computer Interaction
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
Human Factors and Ergonomics
Artificial Intelligence
And 9 more
About
Dr. Andrew Raij, Ph.D. is a principal
researcher at the Charles Stark Draper
Laboratory, where he leads research on
human-centered computing and virtual /
augmented / mixed reality. For over 20
years, Dr. Raij has been helping
companies unlock the transformative
power of immersive technologies
through **rigorous user research,
strategic guidance, and creative
problem-solving**. With a deep
understanding of human behavior in
immersive environments, he bridges the
gap between cutting-edge technology
and real-world needs. His career began
in academia, where he was an Assistant
Professor and Director of the Powerful
Interactive Experiences (PIE) Lab at
the University of South Florida.
Later, he joined Universal Creative,
where he applied his expertise to the
challenge of using immersive, wearable
technologies in the theme park
environment. At Draper Labs, his
research focuses on applying immersive
technologies to training and
situational awareness. Dr. Raij earned
his Ph.D. in the Department of
Computer & Information Science
& Engineering from the University
of Florida in 2009. Prior to this, he
completed his M.S. in Computer Science
at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in 2003 and his B.S. in
Computer Science at Northwestern
University in 2001.