Satabdi Das

I am a Ph.D. student in Computer Science, under the supervision of Dr. Khalad Hasan at the Okanagan Visualization & Interaction Lab. My research is centered on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with a special focus on Virtual Reality (VR) applications. I am passionate about exploring how technologies can revolutionize user experiences and interaction paradigms, with a particular emphasis on making these innovations accessible.

Prior to pursuing my Ph.D., I completed my Master's degree at University of British Columbia-Okanagan Campus. My academic journey started with a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST), Bangladesh. Before embarking on my graduate studies, I served as a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Asia Pacific, Bangladesh.

I believe that innovation comes from combining creativity and curiosity. This belief drives me as a researcher, motivating me to explore new areas in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and develop innovative solutions. You can learn more about my research through my academic publications and explore my professional journey in my CV/Resume.

Publications

Thuan Vo, Satabdi Das , Shamim Noroozi, Lakshay Dang, Jaisie Sin, Jennifer Boger, Jennifer Jakobi, Khalad Hasan. Exploring the Effects of Social VR Coupling Modes on Engagement and Task Per- formance for Older Adults. To appear in Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’25)
Satabdi Das, Arshad Nasser, and Khalad Hasan. Exploring Finger-Worn Solutions for Transitioning between the Reality-Virtuality Continuum. In Proceedings of 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR). [Video]
Satabdi Das, Arshad Nasser, and Khalad Hasan. FingerButton: Enabling Controller-Free Transitions between Real and Virtual Environments. In Proceedings of the 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR). [Video]
Satabdi Das, Sharmin Ahmed, Summit Haque, Sabir Ismail. Assessing Correlation Between Night-Time Light and Road Infrastructure In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2021) [Video]
Sharmin Ahmed, Satabdi Das, Summit Haque, Sabir Ismail. Can We Predict Where to Build The Next Road? In Prceedings of the 8th International Conference on Networking, Systems and Security. (Poster accepted at 8th NSysS, 2021 )

Experience

Graduate Research Assistant

The University of British Columbia (Okanagan Visualization & Interaction Lab, Healthy Exercise and Aging Lab)

Research on Older Adults in Virtual Reality

May 2024 – Present

My research on older adults in Virtual Reality focuses on understanding how immersive technologies can better support accessibility, comfort, and meaningful interaction for aging populations. This work is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Jakobi, Dr. Jennifer Boger, Dr. Jaisie Sin, Dr. Kathy Rush, and Dr. Khalad Hasan. I explore how VR can support engaging social experiences, identify barriers older adults face in immersive environments, and work collaboratively with them to design more intuitive and inclusive VR systems.

Reality–Virtuality Continuum Interaction Techniques

September 2022 – April 2024

My work on the Reality–Virtuality Continuum examines how people transition between real and virtual environments and how interaction techniques can make these transitions more seamless and intuitive. I focused on developing and evaluating finger-based interaction methods to support natural, controller-free navigation across mixed reality environments.

September 2022 – Present

Graduate Teaching Assistant

The University of British Columbia

Courses Supported:

COSC 341: Human–Computer Interaction
COSC 441: Advanced HCI
COSC 305: Software Engineering
IMTC 505: Introduction to Immersive Technology
DATA 573: Unsupervised and Semi-supervised Learning
DATA 534: Web & Cloud Computing
DATA 543: Data Collection
DATA 532: Algorithms & Data Structures
DATA 531: Programming for Data Science

September 2022 – Present

MITACS Accelerate Research Intern

Immersive Technology

Contributed to immersive-technology research involving Virtual Reality interaction, prototyping, and user experience evaluation within collaborative academic–industry settings.

September 2022 – April 2023

Lecturer

University of Asia Pacific

Courses Conducted:

CSE 101: Computer Fundamentals
CSE 102: Computer Fundamentals Lab
CSE 209: Numerical Methods
CSE 300: Software Development
CSE 400: Project/Thesis Supervision
CSE 448: Computer Networking Sessional

December 2021 – July 2022

Coding Content Creator

CodexPro

Designed Scratch and Python programming content for high school students in Bangladesh and Germany, aiming to introduce core programming concepts through interactive, project-based learning.

July 2021 – April 2022

CV

Click here to download my complete CV

Education

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus | May, 2024 - Present |
PhD in Computer Science | Advisor: Dr. Khalad Hasan , Associate Professor, UBC
The University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus | September, 2022 - April, 2024 |
M.Sc. in Computer Science | Advisor: Dr. Khalad Hasan, Assistant Professor, UBC |
Thesis: Exploring finger-based solutions for transitioning in reality-virtuality continuum.
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology | 2017 - 2021 | Bsc in Computer Science and Engineering |
Advisors: Sabir Ismail and Summit Haque

Professional Service

Conference Services

Web and Publicity Chair — Graphics Interface 2025
Student Volunteer — CHI 2025
Student Volunteer — IEEE ISMAR 2024
Reviewer — CHI LBW 2024, CHI LBW 2025, MUM 2024, MobileHCI 2025, CHI 2026
Conference Management Team — 1st International Conference on Bangla Speech and Language Processing (ICBSLP 2018)

Judging and Organizing

Judging Panel — AI for Social Good Hackathon, UBC 2024
Organizing Panel — National IT Competition for Youth with Disabilities 2022
Organizing Panel — UAP Intra University Programming Context 2022
Organizing & Judging Panel — Impact of ICT During Covid-19 Hackathon, University of Asia Pacific 2022

University Committees

Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science Council

Graduate Student Committee — UBC (2023–2025)
Campus Life Committee — UBC (2023–2024)

Achievement

International Four-Year Doctoral Partial Tuition Award (approximately CAD $3933 per year), 2024 - Present
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity aand Accessibility (I.D.E.A.) Scholarships (CAD $800), 2023 | In 22nd IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR)
UBC Okanagan Graduate Research Scholarships (approximately CAD $5000 per year), 2022 - Present | The University of British Columbia
HapticHIVE 2023, UBC-V and UBC-O hackathon | Award: The guardians of the Haptic Realm | Presented Idea: Vibrotactile prototype for emotional feedback
University Merit Scholarship, 2017 - 2021 | Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
Digital Sylhet City Idea Hackathon 2019 | 2nd Runners up | ICT division |
Presented Idea: Digital heath care system for least developed countries

Mentorship

Mentored undergraduate research assistants in the Department of Computer Science, UBCO: Lakshay Dang (Sophomore), Thuan Vo (Senior), Lani Campbell (Sophomore), and Eric Smith (Senior).
Provided research guidance, project development support, and assistance in data analysis, programming, and problem-solving.

Talks & Media

Featured in the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention Annual Report for contributions to Virtual Reality research supporting healthy aging.
Featured on Women’s Day by Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WWEST)
Presented research at ISMAR and CHI conference venues
Invited Talk about “Virtual Reality for Older adults” at Society for Learning in Retirement, Kelowna

Extra-curricular

Mentee | Microsoft's technical resilience mentorship program
Academic Team Member | Children Science Congress, 2017
Contest Management Team | Sylhet regional of National High School Programming Contest, 2017
Event Management Team | SUST CSE Carnival, 2017

Personal Interests

Painting

Painting is one of my favorite pastimes. Whenever I encounter something beautiful in nature, I immediately want to paint it in all of its vibrant hues. I've always wanted to try my hand at painting on canvas, even though I'm not much of an artist. When I was younger, I enjoyed drawing cartoons. During my period in quarantine, I started painting with acrylics. For me, art is a wonderful means of expressing my thoughts and feelings. When color adds vibrancy to a painting, I feel happier.

Traveling

I love traveling. Every time I have some spare time with a travel loving companion, I start browsing for new places to visit. Bangladesh has a lot to offer, but the more I see, the more I want to see! In my head, there's always someplace new to go. I'd like to travel the world, embark on adventures, and visit exotic locations such as mountains, deserts, and tropical beaches and forests.