Biographies
R. Michael Winters is a pianist and Ph.D. candidate at the Georgia Tech School of Music. He received a double major in Physics and Music with minors in Philosophy and Mathematics from the College of Wooster, and a Masters in Music Technology from McGill University. While in Montréal, his work at CIRMMT and the IDMIL explored the application of sonification as a tool for music research, targeting data in musical emotion, expressive gesture, and symbolic music. His performance practice has turned towards live concert streaming, and has included the 2016-18 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition. Since 2013, he has worked and consulted as a sonification designer for private, public and academic interests. His thesis work focuses on tracking and triggering the neuro-behavioral outcomes of insights in advanced music performers.
Avrosh Kumar, musician and software engineer, was the lead composer and sonification designer of the Total Solar Eclipse Sonification project. Avrosh received his master’s degree in music technology from Georgia Tech, and currently works as a researcher in the field of voice biometrics. He is passionate about developing tools and ideas that enhance artistic expression and make technology more “human friendly.” He has developed tools for audio processing, as well as interfaces for musical expression, both of which he has employed in his musical compositions. Avrosh also enjoys running long distances, and baking bread.
Brianna J. Tomlinson is working toward her Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her current work is on evaluating effective methods for studying engagement, learning, and transfer for multimodal interactive systems. This includes collaborating on a grant to develop and evaluate accessible auditory displays for PhET Interactive Simulations. She is interested in how we can use auditory displays and sonifications to support glanceability, how these displays could also provide overviews of complex information and systems, and whether or not this additional modality supports learning in interactive simulations and Augmented Reality environments. Much of her work explores how user-centered design can create experiences which support the needs of diverse user groups.
Bruce Walker is a Professor at Georgia Tech, in the Schools of Psychology and Interactive Computing. His Sonification Lab studies the human-computer interaction (HCI) issues in non-traditional interfaces, ranging from mobile devices, to cockpits and vehicle displays, to multimodal interfaces in education and in complex task environments. Particular research interests include sonification and auditory displays. Professor Walker teaches HCI, Sensation & Perception, Auditory Interfaces, and Assistive Technology. In addition to academic research leading to over 175 publications, he has worked and consulted on projects for NASA, state and federal governments, the military, and private companies.