Nathan Prestopnik

Position:

Professor of Virtual & Augmented Reality; Director, Virtual Reality Design B.A. Program; Co-Director, Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning (SCiL)

Location:

Hazel-Pruitt Armory, room 202

Email: nprestop@su.edu

Educational History:

Ph.D. Information Science – Syracuse University; M.Phil Information Science; M.S. New Media; B.A. Television-Radio-Film Production; B.A. History.

Fields of Expertise:

Virtual Reality Design
Game Design (2D, 3D, VR)
Immersive Storytelling
Immersive History
Human-Computer Interaction
UI/UX
Design Science & Design Research

Professional Highlights:

I’m Professor of Virtual Reality Design at Shenandoah University and also co-director of the Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning (SCiL), a state-of-the-art immersive lab and studio focused on VR, AR, and XR design and research.

I work with my students to build and study games, historical simulations, interactive stories, virtual art, and immersive experiences of all kinds. My current research is directed toward the intersection of history, storytelling, and virtual experience design.

I earned my Ph.D. in Information Science at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and also hold dual bachelor’s degrees in film production and history, an M.S. in New Media, and an M.Phil. in Information Science.

Before embarking on my academic career, I was an artist, filmmaker, and UI/UX designer in Los Angeles, CA, Clifton Park, NY, and Syracuse, NY.

In 2024, I published my first novel, “World Without Rain,” a science fiction epic adventure about airships, monsters, futuristic technology, military conflict, amazing places, and fascinating people. It’s a good read!

Research:

I’ve worked on a number of exciting research projects at Shenandoah University, all of which have included students as designers, developers, artists, and even publication co-authors. Here are three of the most exciting:

“Ghosts of the Argonne” explores World War 1 history through the eyes of men who served in future president Harry S. Truman’s Battery D of the 129th Field Artillery during the Meuse-Argonne offensive in 1918. We are building a working VR version of the famous M1897 “French 75” artillery gun, where users can take on the role of artillerymen of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the night of September 26, 1918, the opening barrage of the Meuse-Argonne offensive that led to the climactic end of World War 1.

“Wilton House VR” is a VR recreation of Wilton, a 2,000-acre Virginia tobacco plantation near Richmond, VA which is of significant regional and historical importance. Our recreation showcases two time-periods (1785 and 1930), allowing users to explore this property and its history through lush, immersive VR visuals at different points in its history. Wilton House VR is on display at the Wilton House Museum in Richmond, VA.

“Caged Birds AR” is an augmented reality (AR) experience built for the fall 2023 opera “Caged Birds.” In this exciting experience, audience members could watch through a “window into the court of the in-between” as ghostly spirit dancers performed on stage. SCiL students and staff built an AR iPad application to serve as this window, placing green-screened performers into a virtual 3D volume that was matched to the physical dimensions of the Glaize Theater stage: an innovative, high-tech magic trick to enhance the show!