Lab Members

Nigel Newbutt

Director

Originally from the U.K. I am now a EduGator and Assistant Professor in the College of Education. I bring with me many years’ experience of developing technologies with autistic, and underserved groups, which started in my undergraduate work exploring multimedia programs for a deaf community in the U.K. I am currently interested in examining and developing the role that VR HMDs can play in supporting young people with autism in their daily lives; informed through their input.  The aim of this work is to co-design the future of this field (VR and autism) with autistic communities and other important stakeholders.  More than this, I am also interested in developing a range of innovative technologies that can help to enable people with neurodiversity.  

Justin Bourne

Doctoral Student

I am originally from New York State and currently a first-year PhD student and teaching assistant in the College of Education at the University of Florida. With a background in educational technology, childhood education, and special education, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Technologies and a Master’s in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technologies. I have five years of experience teaching 4th and 5th grade special education, where I developed a passion for supporting diverse learners. My research interests focus on emerging learning technologies and strengthening family-school partnerships to enhance educational outcomes. I am particularly interested in how technology can be leveraged to bridge gaps in access and create more inclusive learning environments. As I continue my studies, I aim to explore innovative approaches to integrating technology into curriculum design and family engagement strategies.

Marc Francois

Doctoral Student

In the School of Teaching and Learning (STL) at University of Florida, Marc’s research interests include technology integration in K-12 and higher education, immersive learning, and inclusive design of e-learning. Specifically, he is interested in how emerging learning technologies, such as virtual reality can be used to promote inclusive practices for children and young people of diverse identities and cultural backgrounds. Before joining STL, Marc earned his bachelor’s degree in school administration from Université Quisqueya and his M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from University of South Carolina.

Rebekah Johnson

Member

As a current student pursuing her master’s in Educational Technology, and having previously completed her undergraduate degree in Educational Sciences specializing in Disabilities in Society at the University of Florida, Rebekah is very passionate about creating equitable education opportunities for people with disabilities. Rebekah is interested in researching how new technologies can create an inclusive culture in education and remove barriers for people with varied abilities. Specifically, she would like to explore practical solutions to reduce exclusion. Her experience includes over two decades volunteering as a mentor for children, adults, and families affected by a burn injury, helping them navigate their way through recovery and speaking as an advocate for the burn community in various cities in the U.S.

Irene Kao

Member

Irene (Yu-Chia) Kao was a K-12 English teacher in Taiwan. She completed her master’s degree in educational technology at UF and is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in the same field while serving as a research assistant at the Equitable Learning Technology Lab (ELTL) at College of Education, University of Florida. Irene is an educational researcher dedicated to supporting underserved populations, with a particular focus on the autistic community. Her research centers on promoting informal STEM education and developing extended reality (XR) content to create pre-visit tools, enhance social skills, and boost reading engagement for autistic individuals and students with special needs. Her work aims to improve educational experiences and create equitable learning environments in both schools and communities for students with special needs. 

Zachary Larson

Member

As a Computer Engineering student at the University of Central Florida, Zachary Larson has always had a passion for STEM topics and for helping those with Autism. For years, he has volunteered with Amazing Child, Inc., an organization dedicated to helping children with Autism learn social skills. Zachary’s experience as an individual with autism, as well as his extensive knowledge of computer engineering, provide him profound insight into the nuances of technology and its relationship with disabilities.  He plays a central role with the ELTL advising and supporting our STEM outreach activities.    

Congzhi Ma

Doctoral Student

Congzhi was born in Tianjin, China and earned his bachelor’s degree in English Translation and Interpretation from Binhai School of Foreign Affairs of Tianjin Foreign Studies University. He earned his M.A.E in ESOL/Bilingual Education from the University of Florida. Congzhi has two years of teaching experience of English in China and United States. He is a doctoral student in the School of Teaching and Learning at College of Education where he will focus on Educational Technology in applied contexts. His research interests lie in integrating emerging technologies such as virtual reality with language learning in higher education context, especially spoken languages and communication skills.

Talar Terzian

Master’s Student

Talar graduated with degrees Physics and Math from Davidson College in May ’24, and is now a graduate student at the University of Florida studying Educational Technology.  She has a strong passion for advocacy, especially in educational spaces.  Talar’s experiences with research in Physics, STEM Education, and neurodiversity (as well as her life experiences as an autistic individual) have provided her with a vast, diverse knowledge of the educational sphere and the ways in which it is in need of improvement, particularly in the encouragement and inclusion of marginalized groups to participate and engage in STEM subjects.

Ashley Kelly

Undergraduate member

Ashley is a 3rd year communication sciences and disorders major, with a minor in education studies at the University of Florida. Her research interests include extending technology-based education materials to diverse populations that could benefit from their use. She has an interest in using these technologies to teach an array of subject areas and making them more mainstream to benefit a wider range of learners and students.

Dr. Dimitra Magkafa

External Collaborator and Past Member

I am an external collaborator at the Equitable Learning Technology Lab, and past member (studying with Dr Newbutt in the UK) and bring with me an interdisciplinary background and interests in the areas of education and Human- Computer Interaction (HCI): education technologies, designing and evaluating interactive technologies for learning, inclusive design, and participatory research methods (for children in school settings). I hold a PhD in Education and Childhood from the University of the West of England, Bristol. My doctoral thesis focused on co-designing and evaluating a technology-based program, aimed at supporting children with autism in a museum setting. I am currently a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield, UK and I am working on a project that seeks to improve the legal capability of children, aged 15 years and under, drawing on game-based learning theories and adopting a participatory-based approach to develop game-based interventions

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