{"id":151633,"date":"2026-03-24T10:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=151633"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:31:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T15:31:54","slug":"ieee-2026-awardee-gregory-welch-strengthening-the-vr-research-community-through-leadership-and-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ieee-2026-awardee-gregory-welch-strengthening-the-vr-research-community-through-leadership-and-service\/","title":{"rendered":"IEEE 2026 Awardee Gregory Welch: Strengthening the VR Research Community Through Leadership and Service"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation Gregory Welch has made countless contributions to the fields of virtual, augmented and mixed reality as an inventor and researcher, but some of the ones he\u2019s most proud of aren\u2019t documented in patent applications or peer-reviewed publications.<\/p>\n

For more than two decades, Welch has extended his passion into purposeful action within and beyond the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Visualization and Graphics Technical Community (VGTC) to empower future generations, foster collaboration and growth, and advance the fields of visualization, computer graphics, and virtual\/augmented reality. Through his dedication and leadership, he has made a sustained impact on the global community.<\/p>\n

His service includes volunteering at dozens of IEEE VGTC conferences since 2000 and serving as general chair for three international events, each drawing hundreds of attendees.<\/p>\n

“… I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] … could experience VR technology.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One of the most memorable was the 2013 Virtual Reality Conference in Orlando, which he co-chaired and where he created the Florida Academic VR Showcase (FLAVRS).<\/p>\n

\u201cConferences typically bus attendees to the host institution for demonstrations, but nobody enjoys long bus rides late at night,\u201d Welch says. \u201cWith FLAVRS, I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] could bring their families and experience VR technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welch, IEEE VR 2013 co-chair, joined University of Florida Professor Benjamin Lok and a group of student volunteers to transform the event ballroom into the makeup of Florida, complete with cities, lakes and well-known landmarks. Twenty-two demonstrations from researchers across the state were arranged by their institutions\u2019 geographic locations.<\/p>\n

Attendees received \u201cpassports\u201d to collect stamps at each demonstration and earn prizes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still have people tell me that it was the best VR conference event they have ever attended,\u201d Welch says.<\/p>\n

Mentoring the VR Researchers of Tomorrow<\/h2>\n

To further advance the field, Welch serves as an associate editor for two journals and has organized several professional development opportunities for students, researchers and developers, including international research retreats focused on specific topics.<\/p>\n

He has also focused on inspiring future generations of virtual reality researchers. One of the contributions he\u2019s most proud of is the creation of the XR Future Faculty Forum, or F3.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations … and to build a community among future faculty.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Launched in 2023 with 麻豆原创 computer science doctoral student Matthew Gottsacker, F3 connects faculty volunteers with graduate students through panels, talks and one-on-one mentoring to prepare future scholars for careers in academia. What began as an idea has grown into an annual event supporting hundreds of participants, with plans to continue expanding. F3 will take place again at the 2026 IEEE VR Conference in Daegu, Korea, where Welch will be honored for his service.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations, to help reduce fears about research funding and tenure, and to build a community among future faculty,\u201d Welch says. \u201cIt\u2019s been so gratifying to see this idea impact real people and expand to other conferences.\u201d<\/p>\n

His impact on future generations extends to his work at 麻豆原创, where he has advised and mentored dozens of students from undergraduates to postdoctoral scholars.<\/p>\n

Driving Discovery in Simulation and Technology<\/h2>\n

Welch has made sustained contributions to the field through innovative research in virtual\/augmented reality, virtual beings, motion tracking display and healthcare technology<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He currently leads the development of the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA)<\/a>, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. VERA, which is the first large-scale system for extended reality research, aims to create a powerful platform for human subjects research and behavioral data collection in VR. IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Lifetime Achievement awardee and Agere Chair Professor of Computer Science, Carolina Cruz-Neira<\/a>, is also working on the project, which is a collaboration across multiple universities.<\/p>\n

To date, Welch has authored more than 150 publications and his work has contributed to 25 patents. His 1995 Introduction to the Kalman Filter<\/em> has been cited more than 12,500 times. His patented innovations span a wide range of applications, from projection mapping \u2014 like what\u2019s used on Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort\u2019s Magic Kingdom \u2014 to physical-virtual patient simulators<\/a>, \u201csmart\u201d wound simulators, sterile field detection mechanisms, directional electrodes for deep brain stimulation, tactile telepresence for isolated patients and spatially explicit auditory cues for enhanced situational awareness.<\/p>\n

A Legacy of Service<\/h2>\n

For his outstanding contributions and career achievements, Welch has earned numerous honors, including being named to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. He\u2019s also a fellow of IEEE<\/a>, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a Pegasus Professor \u2014 麻豆原创\u2019s highest faculty honor.<\/p>\n

“[My] unique blend of analytical and creative thinking [inspires] my work to … create interactive experiences that … solve challenges and help people.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Welch sees value in real-life events that bring people together. He attributes his dedication to service and success as an innovator to his family and upbringing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was a mathematician and computer programmer, and my father was a musician, so I have this unique blend of analytical and creative thinking,\u201d he says. \u201cThat has inspired my work to use computer science to create interactive experiences that feel like the real world to solve challenges and help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welch\u2019s commitment to helping others began long before his noteworthy career, with involvement in service organizations dating back to high school. For him, service is a way of life \u2014 not an obligation, but an opportunity to make an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much that we can and should do to help our communities,\u201d he says. \u201cIt takes people to step up, commit and invest time to make things happen. I hope my service and leadership inspire others.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch\u2019s decades of service have had a sustained impact, helping to strengthen the global virtual reality community and earning recognition from the IEEE Visualization and Graphics Technical Community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":151735,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,23,24],"tags":[54229,4869,14751,54852,22543,11268,4604],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-151633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-research","category-science-technology","tag-carolina-cruz-neira","tag-college-of-nursing","tag-faculty-excellence","tag-gregory-welch","tag-healthcare","tag-healthcare-simulation","tag-technology"],"yoast_head":"\nIEEE 2026 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