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Robert J. Beaton III
Department of Computer Science
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Knowledgeworks II
2202 Kraft Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Phone: (540) 818-6310
Email: [email protected]
Research Areas
Usability Engineering, Biometric Feedback Devices, Human Factors Engineering, Mobile Devices
Education
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science, 2010-Present.
Overall GPA: 3.81.
Ph.D.: Human-Computer Interaction, expected Spring 2016.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, M.S., Computer Science, May 2012. Overall GPA:
3.78.
M.S. Thesis: On Digital Drumming: Collaborative, Dyadic, Co-Located, Coordinated Interaction.
Radford University - B.S., Computer Science, May 2007. Overall GPA: 3.43.
Minor: Mathematics.
Human Factors and Usability Engineering Experience
Mobile Attention Systems Usability Design Manager, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University.
Worked with 70 senior undergraduate computer science and design students to develop 16 mobile
attention monitoring tools for real world deployment. Met weekly with design groups to lead contextual work practice investigations and analyze interview and observation findings. Developed high
fidelity prototypes with each group and designed analytic evalution methods using a combination
of heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthroughs, Goals, Operators, Methods, and Selections (GOMS)
analysis through expert review. Fall 2014.
Accessibility Engineer and Interaction Designer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University.
Provided consulting and accessibility solutions to departments, faculty, and staff. Using standards and
practices from Human Factors Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction, and WCAG/ARIA/508
standards I assessed current work-flows and identified accessibility issues. Lectured computer-science
classes about what it means to develop a usable and accessible tool. This involves consideration of
the system, the user, and the user-interface between the system and other devices in the workplace.
Developed new standard for web accessibility, ACCESSVT, currently being deployed by Virginia
Tech. Fall 2011-Spring 2012.
Usability Engineer and Designer of Healthy Kids iPhone Application, Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University.
Worked with nutritionists and K-12 educators to design an iPhone application for children with a focus
on promoting healthy eating habits. I was the project leader and developed an application package in
Spring 2010. I used traditional concept maps, designed interview/observation protocols, conducted
interviews, collected and categorized design artifacts, developed prototypes of various fidelity, and
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conducted usability evaluations of the interaction techniques and GUI. I led a second team that
developed a working application for iOS devices in Summer 2010 as part of the Virginia Tech REU
in HCI program. Spring 2010-Spring 2011.
Usability Engineer and Developer of M.U.S.I.C., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University.
Worked with local musician community to develop and deploy a Web-based community for local
music events. Using traditional usability engineering work-flow, I was project leader that launched a
Web-site in Spring 2008. This work was accepted and hosted by Rocket Music, a company providing
artisans with musical resources, education, and career opportunities. Fall 2009-Summer 2010.
Undergraduate Research Supervisor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Designing for Biometric Understanding
Led team of 2 senior computer science and industrial design undergraduates. Developed high
fidelity prototype visualizations designed to help users understand how their biometric states are
affected by daily activities. Conducted interviews to evaluate current design requirements in
modern systems and extacted behaviorial and data value information. Spring 2015.
Mobile Cognitive Wellness Tool Development and Evaluation
Led team of 3 senior computer science undergraduates. Deployed prototype for user review and
conducted think aloud observations to refine naturalness of user interface and define potential
use cases. Created set of heuristics from evaluations to improve mobile cognitive and emotional
wellbeing system evaluations. Spring 2015.
Android Device Based Location and Attention Tool
Led team of 2 senior computer science undergraduates. Conducted analytic evaluation of multi
sensor mobile attention monitoring application. Deployed initial prototype for user review and
conducted think aloud observations to refine naturalness of user interface and define potential use
cases. Fall 2014.
Multi-modal Engagement Monitoring
Led team of 3 senior computer science undergraduates. Extended previous mobile development
to account for user activity as well as user biometric state. Implemented calendar scraping and
logging through shared online calendaring services. Developed new novel display metaphors to
show multiple user data streams at once.
Awards: Second place in the following categories: Industry Choice, Faculty Choice, and General
Crowd Choice. These awards were decided by juried voting and review. Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research in Computer Science (VTURCS). Spring 2014.Spring 2014.
Android Device Based Cognitive Monitoring
Led team of 3 senior computer science undergraduates. Developed personas and scenarios of use
for mobile biometric attention sensory devices. Led team through a user-centered design process
to produce complete design schematic complete with interaction prototypes and initial server
framework implementations. Fall 2013.
Graduate Research Assistant, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Mobile Engagement Monitoring Design Workshop
Led design workshop focused on developing novel interaction techniques for mobile engagement
monitoring systems. Developed traditional user requirements documentation though a usercentered inquiry of personas and scenario development. Developed interaction prototypes using
paper and digital prototyping tools to document and explore developing interaction metaphors.
Led group design critiques and facilitated rapid prototyping through a mixed methods approach.
Summer 2013.
Engagement and Dual-Task Completion Across Multiple Devices
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Investigated participant engagement and interruption impact in dual-task scenarios across multiple
devices. Continuation of prior work, using EEG devices to monitor cognitive load, attention,
and engagement changes. Calculated real-time measure of task engagement and correlated to
subjective participant responses (NASA-TLX. Developed and implemented multiple experiments
to isolate the impact of interruptions, and the cognitive activity present in several dual- and
single-mode work activities. Fall 2012-Spring 2013.
Attention and Mobile Interfaces
Investigated human attention and interruptions in mobile user interfaces. Developed assessment
criteria for several low-cost EEG devices (Neurosky EEG). Developed software to monitor EEG
values in real time and implemented data logging protocols for experiment trials. Designed and
implemented two experiments to monitor cognitive load during activity completion. Assisted in
NSF grant proposal writing and data analysis. Spring 2012-Fall 2012.
Accessibility Research
Worked as accessibility and usability engineer for Virginia Tech in the Assistive Technologies Lab.
Responsibilities involved designing, implementing, and testing technology to address specific accessibility needs. Needs included low vision, no vision, hearing impairment, and mobility issues. Also,
provided accessibility consultation for Virginia Tech departments, consisting of design evaluations
and priority assessments. Lectured undergraduate, graduate, and faculty classes about the changing face of technology and the important role of accessibility from the beginning of development
process. Administrator of several windows servers for the lab. Fall 2011-Spring 2012.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Awards
Virginia Tech GTA Excellence Award Nomination, Spring 2015.
Pratt Fellowship Teaching Award Recipient, Fall 2013/Spring 2014.
Courses
CS 3724, Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction. Spring 2015.
CS 3724, Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction. Fall 2014.
CS 3724, Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction. Summer 2014.
CS 3604, Professionalism in Computing. Spring 2014.
CS 3604, Professionalism in Computing. Fall 2013.
CS 5714, Usability Engineering. Spring 2013.
CS 4644, Senior Capstone: Cyber Art. Spring 2011.
CS 4644, Senior Capstone: Cyber Art. Spring 2010.
CS 4644, Senior Capstone: Cyber Art. Spring 2009.
CS 1124, Introduction to Media Computation, Fall 2008.
ART 4804, New Media Theory. Fall 2008.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Conference Paper Proceedings
Beaton, R., “Mental Wellness: Mobile Tools for Attention Management”, HCIC, Boaster Paper,
2014.
Beaton, R., McCrickard, D.S., “Towards Mental Balance: A Quantified Self Approach for Communicating Mental State”, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, Workshop
Paper, 2014.
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Beaton, R., Robinson, A., Prez-Quiones, M.A., “Fostering Collaboration Using Personal Tablet
Devices”, Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy, 2014.
Beaton, R., “Mental Wellness: Big Data From The Neck Up”, HCIC, Boaster Paper, 2013.
Beaton, R., “Being Mentally Balanced: Exploring Ways to Communicate Mental State and Cognitive Impact to Users”, Pervasive Health 2013, Doctoral Consortium, Venice, ITALY, May, 2013.
Beaton, R., Tatar, D., Harrison, S., “Digital Drumming: Using Rhythm-Based Tasks for Coordinated Interaction Research”, When Words Fail: What Can Music Interaction Tell Us About HCI?
Workshop, BCS HCI 2011, Newcastle Upon Tyne, July, 2011.
McMahan, R., Ragan, E., Leal, A., Beaton, R, and Bowman, D., “Considerations for the Use of
Commercial Video Games in Controlled Experiments”, Entertainment Computing, Volume 2, Issue
1, Video Games as Research Instruments, 2011.
Beaton, B., “The Design of Control: Influencing Identity and Responsibility in Education, Collaborative Narrative Development, and Play”, in Tatar, D., Influencing the activities of daily life in the
classroom as produced through technologies through palpable interdependence, Gender, Bodies, &
Technology Conference, Roanoke, VA, April 22-24, 2010.
Beaton, B., Harrison, S., and Tatar, D., “Digital Drumming: A Study of Co-located, Highly Coordinated, Dyadic Collaboration”, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press,
2010.
R. P. McMahan, A. J. D. Alon, S. Lazem, R. J. Beaton, D. Machaj, M. Schaefer, M. G. Silva, A.
Leal, R. Hagan, and D. A. Bowman, “Technote: Evaluating Natural Interaction Techniques in Video
Games”, in Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on 3D User Interfaces (3DUI ’10), 2010.
Conference Poster Presentations
Beaton, R., McCrickard, “Tracking Mental Engagement: A Tool for Young People with ADD and
ADHD”, ACM SIGACCESS Assets, 2014.
Beaton, R., McCrickard, D.S., Prez-Quiones, M.A., “Biometrically Monitoring Multitasking: Using
Electroencephalographic Data to Monitor User Task Engagement”, Conference on Higher Education
Pedagogy, 2014.
Beaton, R., McCrickard, D.S., Prez-Quiones, M.A., “Using EEG Biometric Feedback Devices to
Investigate Interruption Impact on Multi-Tasking Task Completion”, Human Computer Interaction
Interactional 2013, Las Vegas, 2013.
McCrickard, D.S., Winchester, W., Lemons, M., Beaton, R., “Choosing and Using a Common Book
in an HCI Undergraduate Research Experience”, Human Computer Interaction Interactional 2013,
Las Vegas, 2013.
Beaton, R., “Being Mentally Balanced: Exploring Ways to Communicate Mental State and Cognitive Impact to Users”, Pervasive Health 2013, Venice, ITALY, 2013.
Beaton, R., Gausepohl, K., and Winchester, W., “Using A Sustainable User Interaction Design
Approach to Increase Goal and Objective Completion Accuracy”, Human-Systems Integration Symposium, Vienna, VA, 2011.
Gausepohl, K.,Beaton, R, and Winchester, W., “Using Linguistic Structures to Create Consistent
Measurable Requirements in Meeting Interoperability Goals and Objectives”, Human-Systems Integration Symposium, Vienna, VA, 2011.
Beaton, R, Harrison, S., “Cyberarts: Using Design Critiques to Teach Computer Science”, Virginia
Tech Computer Science Symposium, Blacksburg, VA, 2010.
Beaton, R, Harrison, S., and Tatar, D., “Digital Drumming: Coordinated Actions Within Creative
Tasks”, Virginia Tech Computer Science Symposium, Blacksburg, VA, 2009.
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Other Experience
Student Volunteer Co-Chair, International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction
(INTERACT), Bamberg, GER.
Worked as manager and administrator of over 80 student volunteers. Performed multiple site visits to
conference locations to discuss conference logistics and equipment/staff needs. Worked closely with
other conference chairs such as registration and proceedings to provide input on execution issues, and
make sure student volunteers are being used in ways that offer educational experiences. Interacted
with conference staff to ensure the student volunteers were kept secure. Coordinated meals for 200+
people daily during the conference week. In the 12 months leading up to the conference, held weekly
agile meetings to discuss invited speakers, accommodations, travel, and scholarships that were available for student volunteers. Also acted as a support contact for student volunteers with questions
about the conference or travel process. Knowledgeable of international student issues and policies.
Summer 2014-Winter 2015.
Student Volunteer Co-Chair, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI),
Austin, TX. and Paris, FR.
Worked as manager and administrator of over 140 student volunteers. Performed multiple site visits
to conference locations to discuss conference logistics and equipment/staff needs. Worked closely with
other conference chairs such as registration and proceedings to provide input on execution issues, and
make sure student volunteers are being used in ways that offer educational experiences. Interacted
with conference staff to ensure the student volunteers were kept secure. Coordinated meals for 200+
people daily during the conference week. In the 12 months leading up to the conference, held weekly
agile meetings to discuss invited speakers, accommodations, travel, and scholarships that were available for student volunteers. Also acted as a support contact for student volunteers with questions
about the conference or travel process. Knowledgeable of international student issues and policies.
Summer 2011-Summer 2013.
Graduate Research Assistant, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
New Media Art Gallery Technology Administrator
Worked as technology manager for the Virginia Tech Experiential Gallery. Worked with visiting
and local artists to host shows in the Experiential Gallery. Acted as a liaison between artists
and university with respect to technology needs. Technical duties included: programming, set
up illumination displays, set up auditory displays, fabrication of small mechanical and electrical
parts, including soldering and painting. Also, provided technical maintenance of all computerized
subsystems for the art displays. In addition, served as public guide and lecturer for the exhibits
on display. Spring 2009-Spring 2011.
Java User Interface and TupleSpace Developer
Worked as a Java programmer combining GPS information and Tuple programming for a distributed narrative writing project. Also, built an all-terrain portable wireless network to allow
laptops with wireless cards to communicate and share narrative writings in environments that did
not have networking installed, such as forests and farm lands. Summer 2008.
Professional Guitar Instructor, Rocket Music, Blacksburg, VA.
Provide weekly individual instruction to 20-40 students per week from novice to advanced skilled
musicians. Of these students, 6 have graduated to professional and academic music careers, and 20
have developed successful local music careers. 2004-Present.
Resident Assistant, Radford University.
Work evolved from junior RA duties to senior RA duties during the 2004-2007 time frame. Received
awards as RA of The Year and RA of The Quad for these activities. Fall 2004-Summer 2007.
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Service
Selected, Student Volunteer, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2015.
Selected, Student Volunteer, Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, 2014.
Elected, Vice President, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, 2010-Present.
Selected, Events and Speaker Coordinator, REU in HCI Program, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University, Summer 2009 and 2010.
Selected, Student Coordinator, HCI@VT Student Speaker Series,Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, 2008-2010.
Selected, Student Volunteer, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2009-2013.
Elected, Resident Advisor Counsel Member, Radford University, 2005-2007.
Elected, Electronic Information Chair, Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity, Radford University, 2005-2007.
Professional Organizations
Member, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2010-Present.
Member, Association for Computing Machinery, 2007-Present.
Member, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, Computer Science Honors Society, Virginia Tech Chapter, 2007-Present.
Member, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, Computer Science Honors Society, Radford University Chapter, 2004-2007.
Member, Phi Sigma Pi, National Honor Fraternity, 2004-2007.
Member, National Residence Hall Honorary, 2004-2007.
Invited Talks
Communicating Biometrics, ICAT Sandbox Guest Presentation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, Blacksburg, VA, 2015.
User Reflection: Multi Sensor-Based Engagement Detection, Display, and Reflection Tecnhiques, Guest
Presentation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 2014.
Designing for User Engagement: EEG-Based Engagement Detection and Displays, ICAT Guest Presentation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2014.
Accessibility Standards and Practices: Web Tools and Frameworks, Computer Science Ethics Guest Lecture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2012.
Web 2.0 Accessibility Standards: Introduction to WCAG and ARIA, Computer Science Ethics Guest
Lecture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2011.
Artfully Collaborating: Collaboration in Dyadic, Discretionary Activities, HFES Student Speaker Series,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2011.
What Does It Mean To Be a Leader?: the perception of control and comfort in collaborative drumming,
The Design of Control, Gender, Bodies and Technologies International Conference, Roanoke, VA, 2010.
Digital Drumming: A Study of Co-located, Highly Coordinated, Dyadic Collaboration, International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Atlanta, GA, 2010.
Leadership in Highly Coordinated, Cooperative Dyadic Activities, GAMER Lab Speaker Series, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2010.
Distributed Computing with Micro-Computers, Undergraduate Research Symposium, Radford University,
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Radford, VA, 2007.
Art Collaborations
Rhythm Twilight, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Developed a large scale rhythm-responsive light installation. Lead designer, hardware developer, and
software developer, Fall 2011.
Speaking While Listening, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Developed dreamscape projection and video exhibits. Lead technical advisor for digital displays and
multimedia work, Spring 2011.
Mapping Spectral Traces, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Implemented soundscape and projection exhibits. Lead technical advisor for digital displays and
multimedia work, Fall 2010.
Singing Darwin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Simultaneous web presence and physical performance piece that combined various art, videography,
dance, and music pieces for 24 consecutive hours, collaborated with Carol Burch-Brown, Fall 2010.
REVO/OVER, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University & Taubman Museum
of Art, VA.
Projection piece that displayed high definition video clips in different ways to develop narratives
and randomness through sophisticated computer programming, collaborated with Steve Harrison
and Simone Patterson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, on display at Taubman
Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia, USA, Summer 2009-Summer 2010.
Last updated: March 27, 2015