Episode 15: Danny Pimentel, XR Expert & Empathy Engineer

What does it take to turn childhood wonder into cutting-edge research? In this episode of One Cool Story: Tales from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC), journalism senior Julia Boboc sits down with Danny Pimentel, assistant professor of immersive psychology and director of the Oregon Reality Lab at SOJC Portland, for an inspiring and surprising conversation about the power of virtual and extended reality to shape communication professions. Hear how an 8-year-old’s first virtual reality experience at Disney World led to a career exploring immersive media, nonprofit storytelling, and empathy through technology. Danny shares the story of his not-so-warm welcome to Eugene, his time at Sesame Street, and One Cool Story that takes us deep under the sea. Tune in to learn: How virtual reality is changing communication professions. What drives immersive media research at the University of Oregon. The path from graphic design to XR innovation. Subscribe to the One Cool Story podcast: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/podcast Learn more about the Immersive Media Communication Master’s program at the UO School of Journalism and Communication: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/academics/graduate-programs/immersive-media  Apply to the UO School of Journalism and Communication: https://sojc.link/SOJC-apply Read a Q&A with Danny Pimentel: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/news/danny-pimentel-virtual-reality-careers