Who We Are
The Alternate Reality Initiative (ARI) is a student organization at the University of Michigan centered around virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality technology. After seeing a lack of a centralized community, we created ARI to provide a hub and community for students interested in XR technology.
Through weekly meetings, ARI is fostering the next generation of XR innovators by hosting development workshops, discussing industry news, and connecting students to opportunities in the greater XR ecosystem.
Founded in January 2018, ARI has received recognition and generous support from other University of Michigan organizations. In April 2018, ARI received a $5,000 optiMize project grant and was accepted into the competitive Barger Leadership Institute Capstone program. In April 2019, ARI hosted the first ever XR Midwest Conference.
Our History
Our Team
Andy Yao
President
Andy is a sophomore studying computer science in the College of Engineering. He plans to build virtual tools in pursuit of real impact, especially in education. His love of XR began in high school, where by day he would research human movement with a Meta Quest, and by night he would play Beat Saber. By creating experiences that leave people with not only useful skills, but a new sense of wonder, Andy hopes to change all words – virtual and physical – for the better.
Vivian O
Website Director
Vivian O is a junior currently pursuing a double major in computer science and cognitive science. Her journey into the world of augmented reality (AR) began with playing Geocache in high school. Since then, her passion for developing computer applications, particularly involving XR, has only grown through ARI. With a keen interest in the human-computer interaction (HCI) aspect of XR, Vivian aims to expand her knowledge and skills to create XR everyday applications that prioritize accessibility.
Selina Sun
Fundraising Chair
Selina is a sophomore double majoring in computer science in the College of Engineering and business administration in Ross School of Business. She joined ARI because it combined her previous experience with 3D modeling with game development in Unity. Her fascination with XR lies in its complementary applications with CV
Emily Song
Tech Lead
Emily is a senior currently studying Computer Science and minoring in Art & Design. She began her journey into XR when exploring video games in her STEM class in high school. Her first experience was playing Fruit Ninja on the Oculus Rift, and has been interested how entertainment and technology can cross worlds ever since. Since joining ARI this year, she hopes to use XR to create accessible experiences that are allow people to explore real/virtual spaces with XR.
Sarraf Ahmed
Design Lead
Sarraf is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science in the College of Literature, Science, and Arts. He has been fascinated by technology from his childhood, with a particular interest in XR. What intrigues him the most abou XR (especially AR) is its potential to integrate into everyday human life and enhance the overall quality of life in the future. Through ARI, Sarraf aims to deepen his knowledge in this field and prepare himself to contribute to that future.
Scott Gilbert
Design Lead
Scott is a sophomore studying computer science in the College of Engineering. He found out about ARI this year after getting really into Beat Saber over the summer, and now loves all things XR. Scott's computer science background led him to learning more about creating content for virtual and augmented reality, and now he wants to provide that same level of fun and excitement he feels in XR with everyone!
Chiao Lin
Design Lead
Hi, I’m Chiao, an XR product designer and entrepreneur currently pursuing an M.S. in Information at the University of Michigan. With a background in architecture and a passion for human-centered design, I focus on creating meaningful, impactful products in the spatial computing domain.
Duncan Lau
Design Lead
Duncan is a first-year MSI student with an academic background in CS and HCI. His fascination with XR began with the first releases of Google Glass, inspiring a journey into the possibilities of immersive technology. His passion lies in imagining the future interactions with XR, making them more intuitive and accessible to everyone. With a focus on user-centered design, he is eager to contribute to XR's evolution, creating experiences that feel both engaging and natural.
Ananya Balaji
Website Lead
Ananya is a freshman studying Computer Science in LSA. Beyond understanding XR at a technical level, she hopes to also delve into understanding the social consequences of XR and what kind of ethical design implications those consequences have. She's excited to use ARI as a place to explore these questions and many more!
Michael Nebeling
Faculty Advisor
Michael Nebeling is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information where he leads the Information Interaction Lab. His lab works in the area of human-computer interaction, investigating new techniques, tools, and technologies that enable users to interact with information in more natural and powerful ways, and also make it easier for designers to create more usable and effective interfaces. His current research focuses on empowering non-technical designers to create AR/VR experiences with little to no background in 3D animation, modeling, and programming.