Richard Yao
UX Research Scientist
- I am a cognitive psychologist who specializes in visual attention and perception. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Illinois studying inattentional blindness and change blindness, the surprising failure to notice seemingly obvious but unexpected stimuli and changes in the environment. After graduation, I joined Oculus VR (subsequently acquired by Meta), lending my expertise in visual perception to the development of their first generations of virtual reality headsets and developer best practices.
I’ve worked extensively with high school, undergraduate, and doctoral students—helping them explore interdisciplinary topics, develop research skills, and build confidence as independent thinkers. I’m excited to share my experience to support the next generation of curious, driven learners.
- Universities attended -
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Research and Experimental Psychology
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Master of Arts (M.A.), Research and Experimental Psychology
- Northwestern University Northwestern University Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Psychology and Linguistics
- IMSA
- Preferred format of mentorship - 1-on-1 mentoring, Small group research (2–3 students), Short-term Pods (4–6 sessions), Flexible / I’m open to different formats
- Time zone - Central (GMT-6)
- Your general weekly availability for sessions - Currently, weekday afternoons Tuesday-Thursday; may change depending on employment situation
- Any additional information you’d like to share with us? -
- Currently residing in the Savannah, US. Might change my location in few months but will keep you informed about anything in advance.
- Brief Summary of Your Research Interests.
- Psychology, vision, attention, sensation & perception, virtual reality, video games
- Please describe your past experience mentoring or teaching students.
- I mentored undergraduate lab assistants and taught a variety of undergrad courses as a grad student. I'm currently doing my best two mentor my two sons.
- List 3–5 example project ideas students could pursue with your guidance.
- Why do we sometimes fail to notice things, maybe even while staring right at them?
- How do optical illusions work, and what do they tell us about our brains?
- How do video games hold onto our attention and keep us coming back?
- Why do some people get motion sick in VR and video games, and what can we do about it?
- How can I scientifically/empirically study things as abstract as human behavior and subjective experiences?
- What types of final deliverables can your students expect to produce?
- Research paper
- Literature review
- Data analysis report
- Infographic or digital design
- Presentation or oral defense
- Any additional project themes, trending ideas, or real-world challenges you’d love to explore with motivated high school students?
- How do I pursue a career in psychological/scientific research? - What's the difference between being an academic researcher and doing research for a company? - How good is AI really, and how can it serve me as a scientist?
- 🗣️ Communication & Presentation
- Academic writing (papers, reports)
- Public speaking / oral presentations
- Creating research posters or infographics
- Storytelling through data
- 🔍 Research & Inquiry Skills
- Formulating research questions
- Conducting literature reviews
- Identifying credible sources
- Understanding academic research structures (papers, abstracts, citations)
- Synthesizing information from multiple sources
- 🧠 Critical Thinking & Analysis
- Analyzing arguments and data
- Identifying biases and limitations
- Drawing logical conclusions
- Evaluating conflicting evidence
- 📊 Quantitative & Qualitative Methods
- Designing experiments or surveys
- Statistical analysis
- Data visualization
- Interview techniques and thematic coding (qualitative)
- 🎨 Creativity & Problem-Solving
- Brainstorming innovative solutions
- Connecting interdisciplinary ideas
- Applying knowledge to real-world challenges
- 📅 Project Management & Organization
- Setting research goals and timelines
- Managing independent work
- Documenting progress
- Revising based on feedback
- 🤝 Collaboration & Mentorship
- Working in small research teams
- Engaging in intellectual discussions
- Receiving and applying constructive feedback
- Building research confidence and autonomy