Hi, my name is Eugy. I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology (in the College of Journalism & Communication) at the University of Florida. I received my Ph.D. in Communication (Media Psychology) in 2025 from Stanford University, where I was advised by Professor Jeremy N. Bailenson at the Virtual Human Interaction Lab. Before Stanford, I earned my B.S. in Cognitive Science in 2020 from Brown University, where I was advised by Professor William H. Warren at the Virtual Environment Navigation Lab

My research focuses on understanding what social interactions look like in immersive virtual environments, such as virtual and mixed reality. Specifically, I investigate how contextual factors — physical, virtual, and social — influence these interactions. I conduct large-scale, longitudinal studies to understand outcomes such as nonverbal behaviors and psychological processes. My work related to this has been covered by Stanford News.

Another thread of my research focuses on how we can integrate immersive technologies in sustainable and equitable ways into education. My work related to this has been covered by CNN and Stanford News.

Selected Publications

Below are my highlighted works. You can also read my full CV, which includes a full list of publications, including journal articles, conference proceedings, non-archival conference papers/posters, and book chapters.

Nature Human Behavior cover
Five canonical findings from 30 years of psychological experimentation in virtual reality
Jeremy N. Bailenson, Cyan DeVeaux, Eugy Han, Monique Santoso, and Portia Wang
Nature Human Behavior, 2025
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This review article presents five canonical psychological research findings in VR over the past three decades: (1) the benefit of being there depends on the activity, (2) self-avatars influence behavior, (3) procedural training works better than abstract learning, (4) body tracking makes VR unique, (5) people underestimate distance in VR. We provide recommendations for both researchers and users of VR.

VR Mobility
Understanding the Role of Virtual Mobility on How and What People Create in Virtual Reality
Eugy Han, Portia Wang, Cyan DeVeaux, Gabriella M. Harari, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Thinking Skills & Creativity, 2025
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This article (1) looks at the role of virtual mobility on how/what people create in VR and (2) introduces a VR-specific creativity coding scheme. Restricted movement leads to fewer deletions, fewer 3D models, shorter creations, and less practical designs.

VR Training
How Different Training Types and Computer Anxiety Influence Performance and Experiences in Virtual Reality
Eugy Han, Ian Strate, Kristine L. Nowak, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Media and Communication, 2024
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This article explores how different VR training methods (paper, video, VR) affect user experience, with tech anxiety influencing performance. Video or VR training helped mastery and reduced negative experiences; high tech anxiety participants struggled more regardless of method.

Nonverbal VR
Alone Together, Together Alone: The Effects of Social Context on Nonverbal Behavior in Virtual Reality
Eugy Han, Cyan DeVeaux, Mark Roman Miller, Gabriella M. Harari, Jeffrey T. Hancock, Nilam Ram, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
PRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality, 2024
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This 2-study article examines how virtual and physical social contexts affect nonverbal behavior. Study 1 (virtual) and Study 2 (physical) show variations in avatar movement, gaze, and interpersonal distance depending on the context.

VR Classroom
Lessons for/in Virtual Classrooms: Designing a Model for Classrooms inside Virtual Reality
Eugy Han and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Communication Education, 2024
pdf| website| news coverage| news coverage 2| nutshell description

This article discusses integrating VR into classrooms through the Virtual People course. Key insights: acclimate students, select tasks, manage technical issues, and plan physical & virtual course setups.

VR Environment
The Influence of Spatial Dimensions of Virtual Environments on Individuals and Group Dynamics During Social Interactions
Eugy Han, Cyan DeVeaux, Jeffrey T. Hancock, Nilam Ram, Gabriella M. Harari, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2024
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This article studies how virtual room properties (ceiling height, floor size) influence attitudes and nonverbal behavior during social interactions in VR. High ceilings increased restorativeness, awe, and social attention; larger floors increased awe; both factors combined influenced movement and interpersonal distance.

Metaverse Study
People, Places, and Time: A Large-scale, Longitudinal Study of Transformed Avatars and Environmental Context in Group Interaction in the Metaverse
Eugy Han, Mark Roman Miller, Cyan Deveaux, Hanseul Jun, Kristine L. Nowak, Jeffrey T. Hancock, Nilam Ram, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2023
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This 2-study article shows how avatar appearance and environmental context influence attitudes and behaviors in VR. Self-presence and realism increased over time; avatars resembling participants increased nonverbal synchrony but reduced enjoyment; outdoor spaces increased restorativeness and enjoyment.

Prerequisites Learning
Prerequisites for Learning in Networked Immersive Virtual Reality
Eugy Han, Kristine L. Nowak, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Technology, Mind, & Behavior, 2022
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This study examines the challenges of implementing VR in distance education. Key takeaway: students must first learn VR itself before they can learn inside VR effectively.


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