Pedro Acevedo

Me

Pedro Acevedo

New Position Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), Fall 2025

Ph.D in Technology, Purdue University, 2021-2025

I will be joining the Computer Science Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) as an Assistant Professor. My research interests include Virtual Reality (VR), Educational Technology, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Games, Procedural Content Generation, and AI-driven Virtual Agents. During my Ph.D. in the Virtual Reality Lab within the Computer Graphics Technology Department at Purdue University, I worked as a Unity Developer at the Envision Center (2023–2025), where I developed educational interactive experiences for both desktop and VR platforms. Prior to that, I spent two years as a Research Assistant under the supervision of Dr. Christos Mousas. I hold both a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering from Universidad del Norte in Colombia..

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Publications
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Embodied Conversational Agents in Extended Reality: A Systematic Review

F.-C. Yang, P. Acevedo, S. Guo, M. Choi, C. Mousas

IEEE Access, Vol. 13, pp. 79805-79824, 2025

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A Systematic Review of Immersive Virtual Reality in STEM Education: Advantages and Disadvantages on Learning and User Experience

P. Acevedo, A. J. Magana, B. Benes, C. Mousas

IEEE Access, Vol. 12, pp. 189359–189386, 2024

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An Exploration of the Effects of in-VR Assessment Format on User Experience and Performance

P. Acevedo, A. L. Jimenez, A. J. Magana, B. Benes, C. Mousas

International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence & Eurographics Symposium on Virtual Environments, pp. 1-10, 2024

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The Effects of Immersion and Dimensionality in Virtual Reality Science Simulations: The Case of Charged Particles

P. Acevedo, M. Choi, A. J. Magana, B. Benes, C. Mousas

IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality, pp. 170-179, 2024

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Game Level Design to Evoke Spatial Exploration: The Influence of a Secondary Task

P. Acevedo, M. Choi, H. Liu, D. Kao, C. Mousas

ACM Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI Play) Companion Proceedings, pp. 4–10, 2024

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Embodied Immersive Virtual Reality to Enhance the Conceptual Understanding of Charged Particles: A Qualitative Study

P. Acevedo, A. J. Magana, Y. Walsh, H. W. Pinto, B. Benes, C. Mousas

Computers & Education: X Reality, Volume 5, pp. 100075, 2024

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Optimizing Retroreflective Marker Set for Motion Capturing Props

P. Acevedo, B. Rekabdar, C. Mousas

Computers & Graphics (Proc. of CAD/Graphics 2023), Vol. 115, pp. 181-190, 2023

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Effects of Tactile Feedback on Conceptual Understanding of Electromagnetism in a Virtual Reality Experience

P. Acevedo, A. Magana, C. Mousas, Y. Walsh, H. W. Pinto, B. Benes

IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (Adjunct), pp. 588-593, 2022

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Procedural Game Level Design to Trigger Spatial Exploration

P. Acevedo, M. Choi, H. Liu, D. Kao, C. Mousas

International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (PCG Workshop), pp. 1-11, 2022

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Vitool-BC: Visualization tool based on Cooja simulator for WSN

D. Jabba, P. Acevedo

Applied Sciences 11 (16), 7665, 2021

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WRF-RPL: Weighted random forward RPL for high traffic and energy demanding scenarios

PD. Acevedo, D. Jabba, P. Sanmartín, S. Valle, ED. Nino-Ruiz

IEEE Access 9, 60163-60174, 2021

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Web Apps for Intercultural Competences and Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Higher Education

C. Ricardo-Barreto, J. Mizuno, D. Jabba, H. Llinás, A. Medina-Rivilla, C.A. Acevedo, P. Acevedo, J. Peña, C. Baloco, S. Villarreal

Handbook of Research on Promoting Social Justice for Immigrants and Refugees Through Active Citizenship and Intercultural Education, 349-373, 2021

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Trends in using ICT resources by professors in HEIs (higher education institutions)

C. Ricardo-Barreto, D. Jabba, H. Llinás, J. Peña, C.A. Acevedo, PD. Acevedo, C. Baloco, S. Villarreal

Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, Vol. 19, pp. 395-425, 2020

DOI
Experience
  • Unity Developer at Envision Center
  • Unity Developer at Envision Center
  • Unity Developer at Envision Center
  • Unity Developer at Envision Center
Unity Developer at Envision Center

(2023-Present)

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    Designed and developed interactive learning experiences using Unity Engine for web and VR platforms.
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    Supported and maintained a software platform (Unity-React-Firebase) used by over 20 university clients.
  • Research Assistant at Purdue University
  • Research Assistant at Purdue University
  • Research Assistant at Purdue University
  • Research Assistant at Purdue University
  • Research Assistant at Purdue University
Research Assistant at Purdue University

(2021-2023)

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    Develop of Virtual Reality Experience with Unity and Oculus SDK.
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    Design of 3D environment and learning content for multiple interactions.
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    Education-centered design to improve students' understanding of scientific concepts.
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    Creation of papers, scientific materials, and reports.
  • Unity developer at AsedaSciences Inc
  • Unity developer at AsedaSciences Inc
  • Unity developer at AsedaSciences Inc
Unity developer at AsedaSciences Inc

(Summer 2022)

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    Develop of a Virtual Reality App on Unity and XR Interaction toolkit.
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    Develop of 3D visualization of large network bioinformatics dataset.
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    Integration of the platform into the database environment.
  • Front-End Developer at Digital Bar
  • Front-End Developer at Digital Bar
  • Front-End Developer at Digital Bar
  • Front-End Developer at Digital Bar
Front-End Developer at Digital Bar

(2021)

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    Develop of a web-based platform (VueJS, GraphQL).
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    Design of the Front End webpage.
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    Develop of a GraphQL Database connection.
  • Software Developer as Freelancer
  • Software Developer as Freelancer
  • Software Developer as Freelancer
  • Software Developer as Freelancer
  • Software Developer as Freelancer
Software Developer as Freelancer

(2021)

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    Develop of a CMS app platform (Flutter).
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    Develop of an API connection.
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    Design of Multiple navigation screens.
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    Develop of multiple features such as login, notifications, download files, quizzes, and forms.
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
  • Software Developer at Universidad del Norte
Software Developer at Universidad del Norte

(2020)

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    Develop of a web game platform. (HTML, CSS, JS, and Phaser framework).
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    Develop of a Backend system for game statistics and user management (NodeJS).
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    Develop of features such as multiuser, game interations, character selection, and data collection.
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte

(2019-2020)

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    Develop of interactive educational games such as quizzes, soup letters, and crosswords. (HTML, CSS, JS).
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    Design and development of an Augmented reality component (Flutter, Android, IOS).
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    Design of the requirements UI and UX for the educational platform.
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
  • Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte
Research Assistant at Universidad del Norte

(2019-2020)

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    Design and development of an Augmented reality component (Flutter, Android, IOS).
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    Develop of a marker recognition component for augmented images and videos.
Personal Projects
Procedural Game Level Design to Trigger Spatial Exploration (C#, Unity)
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    Group research project
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    Development through Unity and Unity assets resources.
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    Procedural content generation by instancing the game assets level.
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    Automatically synthesizing game levels in order to encourage designer-specified exploration goals.
Infinity 2D Side Scroller: PCG (C#, Unity)
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    The game is developed using Unity 2D.
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    The game level is generated through selected rules and constrains.
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    The chunks are placed ramdonly each time the player move around the level.
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    The procedural content generation features are implemented to do an infinitely playable level with different difficulties
Virtual Reality Social space (C#, Unity, XR toolkit)
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    XR player prefab instancing.
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    Photon Network connection and Voice room.
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    Dart Game interaction, such as grab and throw infinity darts.
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    Sound effects for indicated user coins.
OnTarget: FPS Game (HTML, JS, WebGL)
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    The game is developed using WebGL instead of OpenGL for web browser support.
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    Camera can be controlled by mouse and/or keyboard input.
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    Collision detection and reaction: Bullets has collisions and has sound when collides with walls and enemies.
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    Texture use for the floor, walls, enemies, character guns (can be change by keyboard), and bullet.
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    Sounds used as background can me play and multiple soundtracks were added. Sounds effects for the shoot of a gun, the bullet collision, and the enemy death.
On Shoulders of Giants (Unreal Engine)
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    Blueprint programming.
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    Puzzles implementation and game level design.
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    Usage of Procedural content for platforms puzzles.
Contact

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Currently, I am looking for collaborators! My inbox is open! Thanks for your interest.

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