
Thomas Merrick
SR. PROJECT MANAGER
XR Initiatives
UM School of Communication
Department of Interactive Media
The countdown to Miami XR 2026 has officially begun! Join us in Miami for two unforgettable days of discovery, connection, and creativity.
Reconnect with the XR community while exploring groundbreaking research, inspiring talks, hands-on demos, interactive session, keynote speakers, and lively after-hours events.
Get ready for fresh ideas, new collaboration, and experiences that will spark creativity, shape careers, and change the future of immersive media.
Day 1—Thursday, February 12, 2026
6:00-8:00 PM Registration + Cocktail Hour Begin at 5:00 PM
LOCATION: Newman Alumni Center, 6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Day 2—Friday, February 13, 2026
10:00 AM-5:30 PM Registration, Breakfast, and Demos Open at 9:00 AM
LOCATION: Shalala Student Center Complex, 1330 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Here’s an early glimpse at our schedule of events . . .
5:00 PM Registration + Cocktail Hour Opens 5:30 PM Conference Opening + University of Miami Welcome 6:00 PM Lightning Talks (Round 1) 6:35 PM Keynote Speaker 6:55 PM Sponsor Remarks 7:00 PM Networking Cocktails 8:00 PM Event Ends
9:00 AM Registration Opens | Breakfast + Demos 10:00 AM Welcome Remarks 10:10 AM Lightning Talks (Round 2) 10:30 AM Keynote | CHRIS DEDE, Harvard Graduate School of Education 11:15 AM Coffee Break + Demos 11:30 AM PANEL 1: Wearable Technologies 12:00 PM Lunch + Demos 1:30 PM Lightning Talks (Round 3) 1:50 PM Keynote | Monica Ares, Director of Content Transformation, Microsoft 2:35 PM Break + Demos and Posters 2:45 PM PANEL 2: XR Education at The U 3:15 PM PANEL 3: XR Health 3:45 PM Closing Remarks | Kim Grinfeder, University UMverse Lead 4:00 PM Networking Reception 5:30 PM Event Ends
MODERATOR: Anna Queiroz, UM School of Communication, Department of Interactive Media
MODERATOR: Thomas Merrick, UM School of Communication, Department of Interactive Media
Connect with industry leaders, researchers, and future collaborators to sharpen your skills, build smarter, explore the latest in XR technology, and discover opportunities that could launch your career in XR. Explore how immersive technologies enhance human capabilities, from wearables to AR overlays, helping us think, work, and collaborate in entirely new ways. Learn how XR storytelling and design foster belonging, creativity, and collaboration across disciplines, industries, and cultures. Discover how XR and AI are transforming classrooms, training, and lifelong learning to create more personalized, engaging educational experiences. Gain insights into how cutting-edge XR research moves from prototypes to real-world applications and discover pathways for students, startups, and industry innovators. See how immersive media is being used in healthcare, therapy, and wellness to change the way we understand, diagnose, and heal. Experience how artists, designers, and storytellers are pushing XR beyond tools into a powerful medium for imagination and cultural expression. Celebrate the unique role of Miami as a global crossroads where technology, art, and diverse communities intersect to shape the future of immersive media. Choose the format that best tells your story. We welcome submissions from students, artists, developers, researchers, and entrepreneurs at all levels. Lightning Talks: Deliver a high-impact, 5-minute presentation on your research, project, or bold idea. It's perfect for sharing a key insight or a work-in-progress. Interactive Demos: Let people experience your work firsthand! Showcase your cutting-edge XR application, hardware, or interactive project in a hands-on environment. Posters: Present your research or creative project in a dynamic, visual format. This is a great opportunity to engage directly with attendees and spark new conversations during our dedicated poster sessions. Submissions deadline: TBA Submissions link: TBA Let's build the immersive future together in the heart of Miami. We can't wait to see what you've created! Chris Dede is a Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was for 22 years its Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies. His fields of scholarship include emerging technologies, policy, and leadership. From 2001-04, he was Chair of the HGSE Department of Teaching and Learning. In 2007, he was honored by Harvard University as an outstanding teacher, and in 2011, he was named a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. In 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Online Learning Consortium. And in 2024, he was named a Scholar of the Immersive Learning Research Network. In 2020, Chris co-founded the Silver Lining for Learning initiative (https://silverliningforlearning.org). He is currently an Advisor to the Alliance for the Future of Digital Learning, sponsored by the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiative (MBRGI). Also, Chris is a Co-Principal Investigator and Associate Director for Research of the NSF-funded National Artificial Intelligence Institute in Adult Learning and Online Education. His most recent co-edited books include: Teacher Learning in the Digital Age: Online Professional Development in STEM Education; Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Realities in Education; Learning engineering for online education: Theoretical contexts and design-based examples; and The 60-Year Curriculum: New Models for Lifelong Learning in the Digital Economy. His professional website is https://chrisdede.com. Eric is a Research Scientist at Google in the Blended Intelligence Research & Devices (BIRD) Lab, where he works on advancing human-computer interaction for extended reality (XR). His research is broadly focused on novel input & interaction techniques and real-time AI-mediated experiences, and has led to over 25 publications. Previously, Eric received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2022 and B.S. from the University of Florida in 2016, with research internships completed at Microsoft Research and Meta Reality Labs. His work has been recognized with multiple awards at top-tier HCI venues, including a SIGCHI Special Recognition for industry-academia collaboration. Tickets are $75 for members of the XR community. Admission is free for UM faculty, staff, and students. To claim your free ticket, please email idsc@miam.edu from your miami.edu email address to receive the PROMO CODE. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors. Their support not only helps keep attendance at Miami XR affordable, but also fuels student opportunities and advances XR research at the University of Miami. This conference would not be possible without their partnership and commitment to innovation. Contact Tom Merrick txm2025@miami.edu. Content Themes
Submit your work to Miami XR 2026
Speakers
Keynote Speaker • Day 1
Chris Dede | Harvard Graduate School of Education
Wearable Technologies Panel
Eric J. Gonzalez | Google BIRD Lab
Ticket Pricing
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SR. PROJECT MANAGER
XR Initiatives
UM School of Communication
Department of Interactive Media
UNIVERSITY UMverse LEAD
Founding Chair and Professor
UM School of Communication
Department of Interactive Media
DIRECTOR, Business Operations
University of Miami
Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
UM School of Communication
Department of Interactive Media
CORE FACULTY
Creative Technologies
Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)
PRESIDENT
University of Miami Chapter
Kappa Theta Pi
PROJECT MANAGER
The VESL
UM School of Communication
Department of Interactive Media
CO-FOUNDER
UM Kappa Theta Pi Chapter
SR. ADMIN. ASSISTANT
and EVENTS COORDINATOR
Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)