Dr. Anna Queiroz is an Associate Professor in the Interactive Media Department, and a member of the Frost Institute of Data Science and Computing at the University of Miami. She leads innovative Virtual Reality initiatives in communication, education, and climate change in public settings across the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Her research focuses on emerging media’s cognitive, social, and psychological impacts on human behavior, charting new frontiers in education and communication.
She leads one of the largest VR research projects in education, introducing VR to approximately 33,000 middle and high school students from low-income communities. This project has earned media recognition and an award from the King Center on Global Development at Stanford University.
Her research interests focus on lab and field studies, which combine traditional research methods with artificial intelligence to understand human behavior in media environments.
Dr. Queiroz’s work informs researchers, governments, and the industry on using emerging media in education and climate change awareness and adaptation. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Cognitive Psychology and degrees in business, behavioral medicine, and education. She completed her postdoc in a double appointment at the Graduate School of Education and the School of Communication at Stanford University.
Click here to see Dr. Queiroz’s publications, and click here to connect with her on LinkedIn.
Courses Taught
The courses offered by Dr. Queiroz are Immersive Storytelling and Meaningful Connections.
Immersive Storytelling is a course designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the research and theoretical foundations that support effective practices in immersive storytelling. It explores the principles and practices of immersive storytelling, focusing on how virtual reality (VR) and 360° video can be used to create impactful narratives. Students learn about immersive media’s cognitive and emotional effects, narrative structures adapted for VR, promises and pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence in immersive storytelling, and these technologies’ ethical implications. The course combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience, culminating in a final project where students create their own immersive storytelling piece.
Meaningful Connections is a research-driven course on how various technologies shape and mediate human interactions. From video conferencing to virtual reality, the course investigates how we use technology to communicate, empathize, and engage with others. By examining both synchronous and asynchronous forms of computer-mediated communication, students develop a nuanced understanding of how technological mediums influence our relationships and perceptions of others. Through a blend of theoretical frameworks and real-world case studies, students explore how technology affects learning, social behavior, and emotional connection. This course equips students with the critical tools to analyze the impact of interactive media on human connection, fostering a deeper appreciation of the complexities involved in navigating communication in the digital age. The final project is a systematic literature review, through which students learn how to conduct systematic analyses and practice academic writing.