Mixed Reality Lab

🎓 PhD Story: Zahra Hosseini — Exploring Inclusive Design Through Emerging Technologies

Zahra's LinkedIn – https://lnkd.in/eDnHfJhS

Current Research
Zahra Hosseini is pursuing her PhD dissertation on how emerging technologies — particularly AI and VR — can support autistic students in STEM and design education. Her work focuses on how these tools can align with the specific strengths of autistic learners, bridging the gaps often left by traditional teaching methods.
Recently, she led a 4-day summer workshop with 16 sessions dedicated to using emerging technologies in the design process, making design more understandable and engaging for autistic students.
Many of her research activities and prototypes have been developed within the Mixed Reality Lab (MXR) at Oklahoma State University, where she continues to explore innovative approaches to inclusive and technology-enhanced learning.

Teaching and Practice
Zahra currently serves as a graduate instructor at Oklahoma State University in the Department of Design and Merchandising, where she teaches Graphics for Interior Design I. The course introduces foundational design skills such as technical drawing, 2D and 3D methods, and design styles.
Since 2023, she has fully digitized the course using Procreate — a shift that has transformed the learning experience. Students consistently praise her innovative and accessible approach to teaching.

Passion and Goals
Since starting as a teaching assistant at OSU in 2021, Zahra has developed a deep passion for mentoring and inspiring students. Their feedback and encouragement have fueled her motivation to continue growing as an educator and researcher in the field of inclusive design.

Fun Facts
Her very first design project as a child was rearranging her parents’ living room — without asking for permission.
Outside of academia, Zahra loves exploring how both good and bad design shape our everyday experiences, from furniture to digital apps.

We had the honor of hosting over 30 students from various Native American tribes for a powerful two-day hackathon focused on culturally relevant design.
These incredible students designed virtual museums that celebrate and preserve their communities' identities, ranging from sports museums highlighting Native athletes, to fashion museums showcasing Indigenous textiles, to art museums exploring the past, present, and future of Native American creativity.
Using SketchUp for spatial design, 3D scanning to digitize artifacts, and Virtual Reality to fully experience their creations, they brought their cultural narratives to life with innovation and pride.
The event was kicked off by a keynote from Dr. Tom Furness, widely known as the Grandfather of VR, who generously spent two days with the students, offering wisdom, encouragement, and visionary insights that inspired everyone in the room.
A heartfelt thank you to the parents, teachers, our graduate and undergraduate students and our wonderful team (Dr. Nicole Colston, and Dr. Angelina Rinehart) who supported and guided these young designers. This event was more than a hackathon—it was a celebration of identity, creativity, and the future of Indigenous innovation

Very grateful to for allowing us to hold our alumni mixer/student presentation in their space!

(Don’t worry, this is the first of many Dallas trip posts)