Funda is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at UMass Boston. Her research is at the intersection of computer graphics, artificial intelligence, psychology, and applied perception with a focus on creating expressive, autonomous, and embodied virtual humans. Funda teaches Game Programming, User Interface Design, and Artificial Intelligence. She is an active member of the community, serving on the editorial board of Virtual Reality Journal, editing a special issue of Frontiers in Virtual Reality, and organizing workshops and conferences such as ACM Symposium on Applied Perception (SAP’23).
Our program, BostonGFX (GFX==Graphics for Everybody), in partnership with Black-in-XR and CreateAccess aims to equip learners with comprehensive skills in Computer Graphics and XR. We provide interactive learning experiences at UMass Boston, the 3rd most diverse university in the nation with many modest-income and first-generation students. Our curriculum comprises five hands-on, project-based courses instructing RT3D technologies and Unity. In addition to Computer Graphics and Game Programming with the primary focus, we offer RT3D modules in Software Engineering, Visualization, and UI Design courses.
We will host the first Black-in-XR meets BostonGFX workshop/expo at UMass Boston, a free for all event, featuring industry expert presentations. We have confirmed the participation of several experts and are contacting over 90 companies in the Boston area for partnership. Our goal is to unify our RT3D program at UMass Boston, empowering students for careers in immersive technologies. The expo will allow students to showcase their projects, connecting them with industry professionals.