University of Arizona Hosts Inaugural XR Summit, Advancing Immersive Learning and Innovation
In November, the University of Arizona hosted its first XR Summit at CATalyst Studios, bringing together more than 120 faculty, students, researchers, and campus partners to explore the expanding role of immersive technologies in teaching, research, and student success. XR, a term that encompasses virtual reality, extended reality, augmented reality, and 360-video, is increasingly recognized as a transformative learning tool that enhances engagement, deepens understanding, and improves student outcomes.
At the U of A, this effort is supported by the XR Collaborative, a cross-campus community of instructors, technologists, researchers, and students working together to expand experiential learning opportunities and shape strategic direction for immersive technology. The XR Summit served as a major milestone for this group, providing a shared space to exchange ideas, feature emerging research, and strengthen connections across disciplines.
“The XR Collaborative was conceived of by many of us on campus who were seeking to connect the dots,” said Associate Librarian and Director of CATalyst Studios Jennifer Nichols. “Many people across the university are working in XR, looking to find expertise and support, and it has not been easy to locate. With the XR Summit, we gave people a chance to network and learn from one another and ultimately grow our community of practice.”
Strengthening cross-campus connections through XR
Throughout the day, participants engaged with panels, demonstrations, and discussions that illustrated the breadth of XR activity unfolding across campus. The first panel of the day featured representatives from multiple departments on campus: Ash Black, Director of AI, XR and Student Success from the College of Information Science; Dr. Dianne K. Patterson, Staff Scientist in Neuroimaging from the College of Science; Dr. Melody Buckner, Associate Vice Provost for Digital Learning Initiatives and Online Initiatives from the University Center for Assessment, Teaching and Technology (UCATT); and Matthew Briggs, Director of the Engineering Design Center and Assistant Professor of Practice Health Sciences Design. Their conversation underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and highlighted the ways XR is enabling new forms of inquiry, visualization, and student engagement.
Presentations from Biosphere 2 and the AI Core explored the intersection of XR and AI for scientific modeling, while additional sessions highlighted augmented reality interfaces for urban data, virtual heritage tours, and immersive approaches to academic support. These examples demonstrated how extended reality can strengthen global learning opportunities, make complex systems more accessible, and enhance student connection to course material.
Attendees were also invited to explore hands-on demonstrations throughout the day to experience a range of XR-driven projects developed by faculty, students, and research teams. These included student-created archaeological reconstructions, place-based cultural storytelling projects, virtual rehabilitation tools, VR-enabled academic support, spatial computing experiments, photogrammetry workflows, and volumetric capture. Together, these demonstrations reflected the university’s momentum in expanding immersive learning opportunities and lowering barriers to experimentation.
Future of XR at U of A
As the XR Collaborative looks ahead, the insights from the Summit will help shape next steps in supporting faculty, elevating student experiences, and expanding the infrastructure needed to sustain XR initiatives across disciplines. With growing interest in immersive learning and the continued evolution of XR technologies, this inaugural gathering marks an important step in defining the university’s future direction in this rapidly developing field.
“That was our hope for the XR Summit,” said UCATT Director of Multimedia and Creative Initiatives Georgia Davis. “Bring people together around immersive technologies and open the door to innovation in teaching and research, regardless of one's experience level.”
The XR Collaborative meets once a month and welcomes anyone interested in XR, from the curious to the expert, to join its supportive, cross-disciplinary community. The group recently launched a new website that will continue to expand as additional resources, events, and projects are added over time. The U of A community is also invited to join the mailing list to receive updates about XR initiatives and upcoming opportunities across the university.
