Nicholas Polys

Nicholas F. Polys is currently the Director of Visual Computing at Virginia Tech Research Computing Group and an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Computer Science. He has over two decades of experience in developing interactive 3D graphic content and systems since 1997.

His research interests revolve around the fusion of graphics and Human-Computer Interaction, focusing on visualization, virtual environments, and perception. Nicholas completed his undergraduate studies in Cognitive Science at Vassar College in 1996 before delving into the realm of the World Wide Web, specializing in audio, visual, and 3D assets and software development.

Nicholas Polys pursued his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Computer Science at Virginia Tech, culminating in his 2006 doctoral work that delved into perceptual cues and layout behaviors for Information-Rich Virtual Environments across various platforms, from desktop to immersive setups.

He is an active member of esteemed organizations such as ACM, IEEE Computer Society, and the Web3D Consortium. Notably, Nicholas is a co-author of the international standard ISO Extensible 3D (X3D), where he holds significant roles such as being the elected Director and President of the Web3D Consortium, as well as serving as the Chair of the Web3D User Interface Working Group.