Carolina Cruz-Neira

Carolina Cruz-Neira is an American computer scientist, researcher, designer, educator, and a pioneer of virtual reality (VR). She is known for inventing the cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE). She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Forbes Magazine 50 over 50 Innovator (2025), a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a member of the IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Academy, a XR Hall of Fame member, a Modeling & Simulation Hall of Fame member, and a Spark Star of the Museum of Discovery. She is the Interim Director of the Institute of Simulation and Training, the Executive Director of the Pegasus Research Institute, and the Agere Chair Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

Her research interest are real-time visualization software frameworks, virtual environments, and applications in a range of disciplines. She is also an artist and dance producer, having staged several virtual reality and immersive live dance performances as well as museum interactive installations.

Cruz-Neira was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2018 for contributions to immersive visualization and virtual reality. Provided by Wikipedia