SWEET HOME, VRARA AL! WELCOME TO THE ALABAMA CHAPTER OF THE GLOBAL ASSOCIATION FOR VR AND AR
The VRARA is making ground in Alabama. As of 2023, with the support of the largest chapter in the VRARA (Central Florida), we've kicked off our presence here — and it's growing, member by member, across the state.
In our neck of the woods? Come on. Let's hang.
UPCOMING EVENTS
See all events here
NEWS
THE TEAM
Chapter President: Nathan Klose alabama@thevrara.com
Nathan Klose cares. He’s the Lead / Chief Creative at Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3), and VRARA Chapter President, who cares. Living in Huntsville, Alabama, Nathan’s work has touched brands like Disney, ESPN, Adult Swim, Marvel, Books-a-Million, Star Wars, Mercedes-Benz, and more. With decades of experience in his field — from interactive game-based education, serious games, and XR experiences at i3, to business strategy, branding, and strategy across industry and commerce — he’s trying to show, at every effort, that he cares.
After you’ve finished reading Nathan’s bio, he hopes you will care, alongside him and everyone else reading it, about what’s next in this emerging, wild-wild west of an industry.
ADVISORY BOARD
Ali Sattari
With a strong background in extended reality (XR), Ali has led the creation of cutting-edge immersive solutions across education and enterprise applications. As the founder of XReality, he works at the forefront of XR innovation, delivering impactful solutions for various industries. Additionally, as a committee member of AUX Immersive Learning Experience and a board member of the VR/AR Association (VRARA), he actively advances immersive education and fosters innovation within the XR community.
Chipper Atkins
Chipper Atkins is a passionate innovator in virtual and augmented reality. He’s played a key role in developing immersive training simulations for the defense industry and helping businesses adopt XR technology. With a focus on making cutting-edge tech useful in the real world, he works to improve training, boost situational awareness, and streamline customer operations. As a Solution Architect, he combines technical know-how with big-picture thinking to create real impact.
Chipper loves bringing people together and supporting local talent. He’s organized industry meetups, mentored startups, and worked with educators to integrate XR into training programs. As an advisory board member of the Alabama VR/AR Association, he’s focused on building a strong XR community in the region by connecting industry leaders, startups, and researchers. He believes Alabama has huge potential as an XR hub and is excited to be part of that growth.
When he’s not working with XR, you’ll find Chipper out enjoying action sports, exploring the outdoors, or diving into his latest tech project. He’s always up for a great conversation about the future of immersive technology!
Jose Flores
Jose Flores is a healthcare innovation consultant for medical intrapreneurs looking to improve patient healthcare through virtual and augmented reality. Jose lives in Birmingham with his wife, son, and two giant dogs.
Melissa Mancini
Melissa Mancini, MSHA
Associate Vice President, Strategy and Business Development and Associate Chief Innovation Officer,
UAB Health System
Melissa Mancini has more than 20 years of healthcare strategy and innovation experience, currently serving as Associate Vice President, Strategy & Business Development and Associate Chief Innovation Officer of UAB Health System. In addition to her work in the clinical arena, she has also worked closely with the Master of Science in Health Administration program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a course instructor, mentor/student preceptor, and member of the admissions board.
Melissa is deeply committed to her community and has volunteered with a number of local and national organizations in areas of health promotion, animal advocacy, cultural preservation, and academic enrichment.
She earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Florida State University and a Master of Science in Health Administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
CYNTHIA “TIA” FERGUSON
CYNTHIA “TIA” FERGUSON, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
Ms. Ferguson is the Director of the Space Systems Department in the Engineering Directorate at MSFC, where she manages approximately 600 civil servants and contractors. Her department develops flight hardware and software for human spaceflight, science and new technology missions. Ms. Ferguson earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tulane University and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). She has been with NASA for 35 years.
Cori Perdue
Cori Perdue, PhD, is a visionary educator and director dedicated to crafting impactful educational experiences. As the leader of the Professional Education program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Collat School of Business, Cori harnesses her extensive academic background from Rice University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Alabama to bring unique insights to her professional endeavors.
Cori integrates XR technology to enhance corporate training, facilitating the development of custom XR programs that improve learning and engagement. As Director of Professional Education, she oversees executive programs including the Elevate Leadership Academy, which fosters collaboration between UAB leaders and corporate leaders. This innovative academy is making a significant impact by empowering leaders in the region with the skills and insights needed to drive growth, inspire teams, and navigate the challenges of a dynamic business landscape. Her leadership spans strategic planning, program development, marketing, recruitment, and assessment, ensuring comprehensive program success from ideation to implementation.
As a catalyst for progress in both traditional and XR-based education, Cori's innovative leadership is shaping the future of professional education, empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in dynamic and evolving environments.
Liv Weaver
Liv Weaver has a background in art and a foreground in science. With many years of technical artistry in the aerospace industry, she harnesses the power of game engines to transform complex data into meaningful experiences. As the founder & CEO of The Little Lab, a retailer of science themed self care products, she champions learning at all ages and celebrates women in science.
Sam Neblett
Sam Neblett specializes in research, development, and application of real-time software for interactive immersive content including video games, training applications, simulators, and exhibits. Sam has extensive industry experience in the fields of XR, immersive technology, gaming, enterprise software, aerospace simulation, and defense training. He has worked with numerous high-profile clients from around the world, participates in XR-related communities, and is dedicated to staying on the cutting edge of innovation and technology.
Cameron Wichael
Cameron Wichael is a seasoned XR professional with seven years of experience developing cutting-edge applications in augmented and virtual reality. Cameron’s career includes pivotal roles at Dynetics and Magic Leap, where they designed and implemented innovative XR solutions across defense, enterprise, and commercial sectors. In addition to their XR expertise, they hold a master’s degree in machine learning and bring valuable insight into the intersection of AI and immersive technologies.
Beyond development, Cameron has been actively engaged in business development and industry outreach, representing XR initiatives at conferences and client meetings across the U.S., Middle East, and Europe. Their ability to bridge engineering with strategic partnerships makes them a key advocate for advancing the XR ecosystem.
As a board member of the Alabama chapter of the VR/AR Association, Cameron aims to foster industry collaboration, drive awareness of immersive technologies, and support local businesses in leveraging XR and AI for innovation and growth.
Jake Bolton
Jake Bolton is an experienced software engineer and 3D-printer addict in Huntsville, AL. He's supported development XR Digital Twins with varying degrees of hardware integrations, XR multiplayer solutions with cross platform support, unmanned Command and Control Software, and more. He's currently at i3, helping bring XR solutions -- across numerous XR headsets and other hardware -- to solve the nation's toughest problems, and recently presented at IITSEC on the intersections between XR and Digital Twins. He is Jacksonville State University Graduate in Computer Science.
Matthew Meko
Matthew Meko applies expertise in change management and program management in support of Booz Allen’s Army business. Based out of the firm’s Huntsville, Alabama, office, his teams have delivered training, software, analytic and engineering solutions to Department of Defense clients across the United States.
Prior to joining Booz Allen in 2007, Matthew was a senior performance management analyst for McNeil Technologies, where he supported the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army, Business Transformation on strategy and performance management issues critical to senior Army leadership decision making. He also was a project manager at Solectron and an analyst at Military Professional Resources Inc. where he supported the stand-up of an Army two-star agency.
He's a U.S. Army veteran, receiving an active-duty commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Notre Dame. He completed the Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, then served in the 1/319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment in the 82nd Airborne Division.
Matthew is a certified project management professional and change management advanced practitioner. He was among “the First 500” to earn the Certified Change Management Professional designation through the Association of Change Management Professionals. He completed the Leadership Greater Huntsville Flagship Class 31 in 2018. He is on the Board of Directors for Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.
He holds a B.A. in history with a concentration in the Hesburgh Program of Public Service from the University of Notre Dame.
Shawndra Bowers
Shawndra Bowers currently serves as the Associate Director for Learning Experience Design in the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning at Auburn University. In this role, she leads a team focused on designing and developing high-quality instructional experiences for students, faculty, and other university stakeholders, strengthening Auburn’s institutional culture for creative and engaging learning experience design, and establishing Auburn as a national leader in academic innovation. Bowers has spoken at numerous conferences, including those hosted by UPCEA, EDUCAUSE, and USDLA.
Bowers joined the Auburn Online team in 2015 as the Lead Instructional Designer. Previously, she has taught in secondary schools, been a school technology coordinator, university instructor and eLearning coordinator, instructional technology specialist for the Alabama State Department of Education, director at a private IT company, and a senior instructional designer. Bowers holds a B.S. in Business and Public Administration and an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Technology. She is currently a doctoral student working on completing a Ph.D. in Adult Education at Auburn University.
NETWORK
Connect and build strong relationships with key players in the VR/AR ecosystem through VRARA or partner-hosted events.
COLLABORATE
Work with innovators in the VR/AR ecosystem across all verticals, from original content creators to innovative hardware companies.
RESEARCH
Gain unlimited, exclusive access to VRARA research and publications, or, when applicable, receive discounts to third-party reports.
