Ahlam Muhtaseb (media studies) was interviewed for a feature on the “Phoenix of Gaza XR” project, David Yaghoubian (history) was a guest on “The Adnan Husain Show” to discuss the modern history of Iran, and Brian Levin (criminal justice, emeritus) was interviewed about the latest hate crime statistics.
“The Phoenix of Gaza XR,” a virtual reality endeavor developed by Ahlam Muhtaseb, professor of communication and media studies, and her former student, CSUSB alumnus Naim Aburaddi, was the topic of discussion on podcasts by Trevor Noah and WGBH’s “Culture Show.”
Ahlam Muhtaseb (media studies) discussed the Phoenix of Gaza XR virtual reality project, Lucy Lewis (music) was interviewed about the inaugural performance of the San Bernardino Youth Symphony Orchestra, Terezie Tolar-Peterson (health and human ecology) is the principal investigator for a grant aimed at combating acute child malnutrition in Nigeria, and Stuart Sumida (biology) discussed researchers’ access to privately owned fossils.
The project, titled “The Phoenix of Gaza XR,” is a collaborative virtual reality endeavor, which uses immersive technologies to document life in Gaza, was developed by Ahlam Muhtaseb, professor of communication and media studies, and her former student, CSUSB alumnus Naim Aburaddi.
Ahlam Muhtaseb (media studies) discussed the work of CSUSB alumnus Naim Aburaddi, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado, Mihaela Popescu (communication studies) was interviewed for a white paper on the impact of the metaverse, Stuart Sumida (biology) commented on the auctioning of dinosaur fossils, and Bob Miller (public administration, adjunct) is being considered for a vacancy on the Yucaipa City Council.
The experiences of refugees who survived the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey will be shown in 360-degree immersive footage captured by the panelists at the April 18 event, which will be presented virtually.
The CSUSB xReal Lab team hopes to not only raise awareness, but also increase empathy with the refugees in an attempt to increase humanitarian aid.
The virtual reality environment was introduced as part of the event, titled “Yesterday's Future: The Centuries-Long Quest For Virtual Reality,” hosted by the Annenberg Virtual Reality ColLABorative.
Naim Aburaddi, has had an amazing academic career leading up to his acceptance into the prestigious doctoral program in media studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he will study the digital media’s misrepresentation of Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims and other Indigenous communities.