Ph.D. student Courtney Hutton Pospick selected as ARCS Scholar

5th year Ph.D student Courtney Hutton Pospick was selected as a 2020-21 Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation Scholar. The award is made to graduate-level scholars who have high scholastic records and have been identified for their potential to have a great impact on advancing science in their fields.

Courtney is a Ph.D. candidate in the Illusioneering Lab, advised by Dr. Evan Suma Rosenberg. Her research focuses on user interaction in the realm of augmented and virtual reality, and draws from a multitude of disciplines, including psychology, physiology, and mathematics.

Some of her current work focuses on simple interfaces that novice users can use to pilot drones through complex and confined spaces. There are broad applications for this type of work. For instance, drones can be used to map historical sites and artifacts; they can be deployed for confined space inspections on industrial sites; or they can also be flown as part of search and rescue missions in disaster areas. 

She is interested in developing accessible interfaces and interaction techniques to make virtual and augmented reality feasible for a wider spectrum of users, including individuals with physical disabilities. Broadly, this research will lower the barrier to entry for using VR and AR in a wider range of applications. By developing more intuitive interfaces for novice users, VR and AR becomes more attainable. Making this technology easier to use will increase its deployment and potentially lead to new collaborations between augmented reality and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

After graduation, she intends to pursue a career in private sector research, focusing on further development of accessible user interfaces for mixed reality environments.

Please join CS&E in extending our congratulations to Courtney Hutton Pospick. A complete list of ARCS Minnesota Chapter Scholars can be found on the ARCS website.