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Contact: Camille Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.–Registration comes to a close Monday [April 8], for the Mississippi State College of Education’s 12th Annual Research Forum, “Virtual Reality: Opportunities for Educational Research.”

Open to all COE faculty, staff and students, the April 12 event also is for any educators interested in pursuing research opportunities or learning more about virtual reality and augmented reality. The forum is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Mill at ���� Conference Center.

Registration is online for interested educators at . ���� employees and students may register at .

Vince Jordan, CEO and Founder of Lobaki, Inc., will provide a keynote address, “Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality–what is it and how do we use it now?”

With more than 40 years in the profession, Jordan is a hands-on executive involved in all aspects of his VR application business, from client presentations, VR experience development and customer delivery.

Forum session topics include differences between virtual and augmented reality; how VR and AR technologies are being used in industrial training, design and field work; practical applications in the education sector and health care industry; and why now is a critical time for the VR and AR industry as early exploration is done across sectors.

Discussions also will include how workforce development in these technologies is accomplished in Mississippi and what resources are available regionally to allow businesses and educators to get hands-on experience.

Guests will be welcomed by College of Education Dean Richard Blackbourn and will enjoy performances by Department of Music students, as well as Jason Baker, associate professor of music. Undergraduate and graduate students who conducted faculty-guided research projects throughout the academic year are encouraged to showcase their findings through the forum’s annual poster competition, to be judged early in the day with winners announced at the forum closing.