Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch’s decades of service have had a sustained impact, helping to strengthen the global virtual reality community and earning recognition from the IEEE Visualization and Graphics Technical Community.
Highlights
- Gregory Welch, AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation and IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Service Awardee, has authored over 150 publications, contributed to 25 patents, and led projects that advance virtual, augmented, and mixed reality research for healthcare, entertainment, and human-computer interaction.
- For more than 20 years, he has channeled his passion into action, from volunteering at dozens of IEEE VGTC conferences to creating the Florida Academic VR Showcase, empowering future generations and strengthening the global VR community.
AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation Gregory Welch has made countless contributions to the fields of virtual, augmented and mixed reality as an inventor and researcher, but some of the ones he’s most proud of aren’t documented in patent applications or peer-reviewed publications.
For more than two decades, Welch has extended his passion into purposeful action within and beyond the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Visualization and Graphics Technical Community (VGTC) to empower future generations, foster collaboration and growth, and advance the fields of visualization, computer graphics, and virtual/augmented reality. Through his dedication and leadership, he has made a sustained impact on the global community.
His service includes volunteering at dozens of IEEE VGTC conferences since 2000 and serving as general chair for three international events, each drawing hundreds of attendees.
One of the most memorable was the 2013 Virtual Reality Conference in Orlando, which he co-chaired and where he created the Florida Academic VR Showcase (FLAVRS).
“Conferences typically bus attendees to the host institution for demonstrations, but nobody enjoys long bus rides late at night,” Welch says. “With FLAVRS, I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] could bring their families and experience VR technology.”
Welch, IEEE VR 2013 co-chair, joined University of Florida Professor Benjamin Lok and a group of student volunteers to transform the event ballroom into the makeup of Florida, complete with cities, lakes and well-known landmarks. Twenty-two demonstrations from researchers across the state were arranged by their institutions’ geographic locations.
Attendees received “passports” to collect stamps at each demonstration and earn prizes.
“I still have people tell me that it was the best VR conference event they have ever attended,” Welch says.
“… I had the idea to bring VR demonstrations from Florida universities to the conference site, making it a fun evening where [attendees] … could experience VR technology.”
Mentoring the VR Researchers of Tomorrow
To further advance the field, Welch serves as an associate editor for two journals and has organized several professional development opportunities for students, researchers and developers, including international research retreats focused on specific topics.
He has also focused on inspiring future generations of virtual reality researchers. One of the contributions he’s most proud of is the creation of the XR Future Faculty Forum, or F3.
Launched in 2023 with UCF computer science doctoral student Matthew Gottsacker, F3 connects faculty volunteers with graduate students through panels, talks and one-on-one mentoring to prepare future scholars for careers in academia. What began as an idea has grown into an annual event supporting hundreds of participants, with plans to continue expanding. F3 will take place again at the 2026 IEEE VR Conference in Daegu, Korea, where Welch will be honored for his service.
“It’s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations, to help reduce fears about research funding and tenure, and to build a community among future faculty,” Welch says. “It’s been so gratifying to see this idea impact real people and expand to other conferences.”
His impact on future generations extends to his work at UCF, where he has advised and mentored dozens of students from undergraduates to postdoctoral scholars.
“It’s been so rewarding to see the knowledge sharing between generations … and to build a community among future faculty.”
Driving Discovery in Simulation and Technology
Welch has made sustained contributions to the field through innovative research in virtual/augmented reality, virtual beings, motion tracking display and healthcare technology.
He currently leads the development of the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA), supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. VERA, which is the first large-scale system for extended reality research, aims to create a powerful platform for human subjects research and behavioral data collection in VR. IEEE VGTC Virtual Reality Lifetime Achievement awardee and Agere Chair Professor of Computer Science, Carolina Cruz-Neira, is also working on the project, which is a collaboration across multiple universities.
To date, Welch has authored more than 150 publications and his work has contributed to 25 patents. His 1995 Introduction to the Kalman Filter has been cited more than 12,500 times. His patented innovations span a wide range of applications, from projection mapping — like what’s used on Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom — to physical-virtual patient simulators, “smart” wound simulators, sterile field detection mechanisms, directional electrodes for deep brain stimulation, tactile telepresence for isolated patients and spatially explicit auditory cues for enhanced situational awareness.
A Legacy of Service
For his outstanding contributions and career achievements, Welch has earned numerous honors, including being named to the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. He’s also a fellow of IEEE, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a Pegasus Professor — UCF’s highest faculty honor.
Welch sees value in real-life events that bring people together. He attributes his dedication to service and success as an innovator to his family and upbringing.
“My mother was a mathematician and computer programmer, and my father was a musician, so I have this unique blend of analytical and creative thinking,” he says. “That has inspired my work to use computer science to create interactive experiences that feel like the real world to solve challenges and help people.”
Welch’s commitment to helping others began long before his noteworthy career, with involvement in service organizations dating back to high school. For him, service is a way of life — not an obligation, but an opportunity to make an impact.
“There is so much that we can and should do to help our communities,” he says. “It takes people to step up, commit and invest time to make things happen. I hope my service and leadership inspire others.”
“[My] unique blend of analytical and creative thinking [inspires] my work to … create interactive experiences that … solve challenges and help people.”
Article by Julie Harper ’01
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