21 May 2025
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AWE Team
Honoring the Giants: Meet the 2025 Inductees to the XR Hall of Fame
AWE USA 2025
At AWE, we believe that building the future of XR begins by honoring those who shaped its past. That belief took physical form last year with the launch of the XR Hall of Fame — a living tribute to the trailblazers whose bold visions, technical breakthroughs, and creative leaps laid the foundation for today’s $40 billion XR industry.
In 2024, we inducted the first 101 pioneers whose cumulative contributions spanned five decades and countless milestones across augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. These individuals didn't just imagine XR before it was possible — they made it possible.
Now, in 2025, we proudly continue this tradition by welcoming 10 new luminaries into the XR Hall of Fame. From early VR forums to the frontiers of digital health, from immersive art to breakthrough hardware, these pioneers have pushed XR forward with relentless passion, innovation, and impact.
They will be honored live on stage during the Auggie Awards at AWE USA 2025—not only celebrated, but given the spotlight to share their wisdom and inspire the next generation of spatial innovators.
Here are the 10 newest members of the XR Hall of Fame—and why their contributions matter now more than ever.
Nicole Stenger: One of the First VR Artists
Nicole Stenger’s Angels (1993) is widely recognized as the first immersive VR movie—an ethereal blend of real-time interaction, visual poetry, and philosophical inquiry. Using a VPL DataGlove and early VR goggles, she transported audiences into alternate realms long before virtual worlds were mainstream. Her seminal essay Mind is a Leaking Rainbow remains a cornerstone of cyberspace thought. In a field now booming with XR art, she was the original Wonder Creator.
Bob Jacobson: HIT Lab Associate Director and Architect of First VR Forum
As Associate Director of the HIT Lab in the late 1980s and founder of sci.virtual-worlds, Bob Jacobson created one of the first online communities for VR—long before Reddit or Discord. He also helped introduce the term “spatial computing” and advocated for human-centered design. Today’s global XR community still reflects his spirit of open discourse, ethical design, and technological imagination.
Andrew Fuller: Founding Architect of HoloLens and Leader of Next-Gen AR at Meta
As one of the five original team members behind Microsoft’s HoloLens and later the Product Architect for HoloLens 2, Andrew Fuller helped define the modern mixed reality headset. Now at Meta, he leads development of Orion, a next-gen AR glasses project. If HoloLens cracked open the promise of enterprise MR, Orion is aiming to bring immersive AR to everyone. Fuller continues to build the future—one lens at a time.
Gregory Panos: The Human Simulation Pioneer
Gregory Panos has worn many XR hats—engineer, educator, author, futurist—but his legacy centers on one driving goal: humanizing technology. Through his Virtual Reality Sourcebook, his early avatar work with the Persona Foundation, and his consulting on The Lawnmower Man, Panos helped mainstream the idea that digital personas could one day be you. His work on virtual immortality still pushes boundaries today.
Linda Jacobson: VR Evangelist and XR Advocate for Health and Inclusion
From co-founding Wired to becoming Silicon Graphics’ first VR Evangelist, Linda Jacobson has been XR’s loudest advocate since 1989. She introduced immersive tech to global leaders, performed with motion capture music groups, and is now pioneering gerontechnology—helping older adults through immersive, human-centric tools. Her cross-generational impact is proof that XR isn’t just for the young—it’s for everyone.
Mel Slater: The Mind Behind Presence
No one has done more to explain why VR feels real than Mel Slater. His academic work introduced the psychological frameworks of Place Illusion and Plausibility Illusion—now bedrock concepts in immersive design. His research has powered advances in therapy, education, and behavioral change. If you’ve ever “forgotten” a VR world was fake, you’ve experienced Slater’s legacy firsthand.
Sandra Kay Helsel: XR Media Trailblazer and "First Lady of VR"
Dr. Sandra Kay Helsel didn’t just cover the rise of VR—she shaped it. As founder of Virtual Reality World, editor of VR News, and producer of the first commercial VR conferences, she brought XR to the mainstream. Her ethnographic lens made complex tech human and accessible. The XR media and events ecosystem today owes her a tremendous debt. She remains a mentor and advocate for women and young professionals in immersive tech.
Dr. Walter Greenleaf: The Clinical XR Pioneer
For over 35 years, Dr. Walter Greenleaf has led the charge in medical VR. From PTSD treatment and stroke rehab to autism therapy and brain injury recovery, he’s helped make immersive tech a credible, evidence-based tool in digital health. At Stanford and beyond, Greenleaf continues to guide policy and product design for the next era of therapeutic XR.
Albert "Skip" Rizzo: Pioneer in Virtual Reality for Psychological and Cognitive Healthcare
Dr. Skip Rizzo has dedicated his career to clinical XR, most famously through BRAVEMIND, a VR system for PTSD treatment now used in over 150 clinics. From cognitive rehab to autism support, Skip’s work has touched thousands of lives. His legacy is proof that immersive tech doesn’t just entertain—it heals, educates, and uplifts.
Scott Fisher: Founder of the Interactive Media Division at USC, NASA Pioneer
From NASA Ames to USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Scott Fisher’s fingerprints are on nearly every aspect of XR innovation. He built the first head-coupled display and VR systems for space exploration, co-founded Telepresence Research, and now shapes future storytellers through USC’s Mobile & Environmental Media Lab. Fisher has long bridged science and storytelling—and XR is better for it.
A Celebration, A Legacy, A Call to Action
These 10 new inductees will be honored on June 11 at AWE USA 2025 during the Auggie Awards—each presenting an award on stage and offering a reflection on their journey and what the XR industry can learn from it.
Their faces and stories will also be featured across the event, from signage to XR History exhibits—and their names added to the XR Hall of Fame digital archive for the world to discover.
We invite everyone in the XR community to explore their stories, draw inspiration from their journeys, and recognize the privilege we all share: to stand on the shoulders of these giants.
Because the best way to honor the past… is to build the future it made possible.
Visit the XR Hall of Fame at https://awexr.com/hall-of-fame to explore all inductees and celebrate their impact.
