Hyo Kang

Hyo Jeong Kang is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida’s Digital Worlds Institute. Her research centers on user interaction design in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), with a particular emphasis on applying immersive technologies to education and workforce training. She holds a Ph.D. in Design Studies with a specialization in Virtual Reality from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was affiliated with the Virtual Environments Group at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. Through an interdisciplinary lens, her work seeks to develop intuitive, user-friendly VR interfaces tailored for novice and non-technical users.

Research Interests

• User Experience Design (UI/UX)
• Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR)
• Gamification
• Educational and Workforce Training

Education

• Ph.D. in Design Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison (Concentration: Virtual Reality)
• Master of Science, Seoul National University, South Korea
• Bachelor of Business Administration, Ewha Womans University, South Korea

Grants

• NSF ExLENT #2346819 “Preparing Autistic individuals for Transition to become Quality Assurance Engineers in Semiconductor,” 2024-2027, $620,104 (Role: PI)
• NSF SaTC:EDU #2415749 “Designing Next Generation Training Using VR for Microelectronics Physical Assurance,” 2024-2026, $497,905 (Role: Co-PI)
• NSF Engine #2315320 “Central Florida Semiconductor Innovation Engine,” 2024-2026, Sponsor: BRIDG $14,938,671 UF sub-award: $2,350,000 (Role: Co-PI)
• US Army “SCALE: A Microelectronic Workforce Development Production Project,” 2024-2025, Sponsor: Purdue, UF sub-awards: $450,000 (Role: Co-PI)