Background

DePaul’s Campus Security recognizes the need for more effective training to prepare new officers for real-world challenges. Building on prior research from projects like A Just Reality and VRSES, PUSH Studio is collaborating with Campus Safety to develop an innovative virtual reality training program. This program uses immersive scenarios to train officers in handling campus-specific incidents such as theft, battery, and intoxication. By providing a controlled and interactive environment, this initiative aims to standardize onboarding procedures and improve officer readiness while reducing reliance on real-world training resources.

Contributions

As lead VR developer, I​

• Developed two VR training scenarios for DePaul’s Campus Safety officers to practice soft skills, incident response, and information reporting.

• Met regularly with DePaul's Campus Safety administration to align scenarios with given safety protocols and officer directives.​ 

• Implemented main scenario report collecting functionality, AI-powered NPC integration through ConvAI, and feedback display scoring user's soft skills on key categories. 

• Managed VR equipment deployment, led demonstrations, and conducted testing, optimizing usability and engagement through iterative improvements.

• Represented the project at events, including DePaul's Innovation Day 2025 and VRAR Chicago's The Next Evolution: How to Make Immersive Content.