Our Team

Dr. Masoud Gheisari is an Associate Professor in the Rinker School of Construction Management at the University of Florida. He leads the Human-Centered Technology in Construction (HCTC) research lab. His research focuses on the theoretical and experimental investigation of human-robot interaction in construction and technology-supported education innovation. He earned his Ph.D. in Building Construction (2013) from the Georgia Institute of Technology. To date, he has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed papers in the fields of virtual/augmented/mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) and safe human-drone interaction in construction.

His work has received support worth over $1.8m in grants from external funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Labor, NIOSH’s Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), and ELECTRI International. Dr. Gheisari is the recipient of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) International Outstanding Researcher Award (2021), ENR Southeast’s Top Young Professional (2020), UF DCP Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Award (2019), BCN Nancy Perry Teaching Award (2019), Russell J. Alessi ELECTRI International Early Career Award (2018), UF DCP Faculty Research Award (2018), ASC Southeast’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2018), and ASCE ExCEEd Fellowship (2015). He also serves as an Associate Editor for ASCE’s Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering. Curriculum Vitae.

Yuan is a Ph.D. student in the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida. She is interested in VR and the use of Virtual Social Spaces in construction education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Building Environment and Energy Application Engineering From China (2017) and an M.Sc. in Building Science from the University of Southern California (2020).

Jiun-Yao is a Ph.D. student in the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida.He is interested in drones and investigating their occupational safety and health challenges in construction. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (2017) and an M.Sc. in Construction Engineering and Management (2019) from National Central University in Taiwan.

Zixian is a Ph.D. Student in the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management (co-advised with Prof. Idris Jeelani). Her research focuses on safety risk assessment through 4D VR simulations and safe human-robot interaction. Zixian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering Management from Beijing Jiaotong University in China (2018) and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Cornell University (2019).

Anderson is an undergraduate student pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Florida and is a VR expert on our team. Anderson is in his sophomore year hoping to double major in digital arts and sciences as well. He is from Jupiter, Florida, and graduated from Suncoast Community High School where he worked on virtual environments.

Ajit is a Ph.D. student in the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida. He is interested in AI and drone technologies and their applications in construction work and education. Ajit holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Pokhara University in Nepal (2015) and a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand (2019).

Parth is a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida’s M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management. His research focuses on computer vision, digital twinning, and immersive technologies. Parth holds a bachelor’s degree in architectural design and building science from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology in India (2019), as well as a master’s degree in civil engineering with a specialization in building technology and construction management from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (2021). He has practical experience as a deputy manager at the engineering and construction unit of Shapoorji Pallonji group in India (2021-23), where he successfully led digital technology initiatives and implemented lean practices on various construction projects.

Pankaj is a graduate student in Computer Science at the University of Florida, with a specialization in Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and User Experience Design. In his most recent internship with Fidelity Investments, Pankaj took the lead in developing VR applications. His contributions resulted in the creation of immersive VR experiences that received positive feedback from users. Pankaj holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai (2019).

Miles is currently a sophomore at the University of Florida’s Digital Worlds Institute, where he is pursuing a degree in Digital Arts and Sciences. He also plans to achieve a minor in Computer Science and Classical Studies. Miles is from Cooper City, Florida, where he graduated from Cooper City High School. In his free time, he has dedicated the last five years to self-learning Unity and virtual reality development.

Caroline is a Visiting Ph.D. Scholar in the M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, coming from the Polytechnic School, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. She is interested in digital twins and advanced technology integration for construction site management. Caroline holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (2019) and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering (2021) from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.