Meaningful XR 2025 Conference at UC Davis

The Department of Communication at UC Davis is hosting the Meaningful XR (MXR) Conference on May 22–23, 2025, at the UC Davis International Center (Multipurpose Room). The event will bring together 86 researchers, students, and practitioners to share cutting-edge work in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (XR) technologies.

MXR explores how immersive media can be designed to foster empathy, learning, prosocial behavior, and psychological well-being. The 2025 conference program will include poster presentations, live demonstrations, and interdisciplinary panels spanning communication, education, psychology, and computer science.

Keynote speakers include:

·       Katherine Isbister (UC Santa Cruz)

·       Mark Roman Miller (Illinois Institute of Technology)

·       Andrea Stevenson Won (Cornell University, presenting in hybrid VR)

·       Anna Carolina Queiroz (University of Miami)

·       Oliver Kreylos (UC Davis DataLab)

These scholars bring diverse perspectives on embodiment, immersive learning, XR design, and the social implications of virtual environments. The conference is free and open to the public with advance registration. Click for the full schedule and speaker details. 

MXR 2025 is organized by Jorge Peña (UC Davis), Robby Ratan (MSU), Maxwell Foxman (U Oregon), Brian Klebig (Bethany Lutheran College), David Beyea (U Wisconsin-Whitewater), and Alex Leith (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), with support from the Department of Communication at UC Davis, graduate students, and volunteers. The full list of sponsors can be found here.