Elizabeth (Alex) Schlesener

Hello! My name is Elizabeth, but I go by Alex. I am a highly motivated and ambitious Ph.D. candidate in Human-Centered Computing at Clemson University.

As a member of Clemson’s Virtual Environments Group (VEG), my research focuses on the design and implementation of AI-driven Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) in user-centered applications. My work has been funded by the BMW Group, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and Prisma Health. I have also presented at leading conferences, including the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) and the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR).

My research experience spans both quantitative (e.g., descriptive and inferential statistics) and qualitative (e.g., grounded theory, contextual inquiry, directed content analysis) methods. I also have technical expertise in Python, C#/C++,  JavaScript, HTML, and R/SPSS.

In May 2021, I earned an MFA in Digital Production Arts from Clemson, with specialization in 3D texturing, surfacing, sculpting, modeling, and lighting. I am highly proficient in industry-standard tools such as Unreal Engine, Unity, Maya, ZBrush, Mari, Substance Painter, Substance Designer, and the Adobe Creative Suite.

I also serve as the lead 3D Designer at DropsAR, where I help create custom, web-based AR experiences for mobile devices.