Despina Michael-Grigoriou
Brief CV
Current Positions
Vice-chair (elected), 2025 - today
Multimedia and Graphic Arts Department, Cyprus University of Technology (CUT)
Associate Professor, 2021 - today
Multimedia and Graphic Arts Department, Cyprus University of Technology (CUT)
Founder & Director, 2012 - today
GET Lab - Microsoft Computer Games and Emerging Technologies Research Lab, CUT
Advisory Board member (elected), 01.2025 - today
EuroXR - European Association of eXtended Realities
International Steering Committee member, 2018 - today
ICAT - International Committee of Artificial Reality and Telexistence
International Steering Committee member, 2019 - today
EGVE - Eurographics Working Group on Virtual Environments
Founding CUT Coordinator, initiated in 2014
CYENS Centre of Excellence
Board member, 2019 - today
Faculty member, 2014 - today & Founding member, founded in 2014
SCRC - Social Computing Research Centre, Cyprus University of Technology
Education
PhD in Computer Science, 2010
Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus
PhD title: “Real-time high quality HDR illumination and tonemapped rendering”
Google Scholarship Recipient: The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship 2008.
MSc in Advanced Information Technologies, 2005
Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus
Highest Average Grade Award, for the GPA between all graduates of the department.
BSc in Computer Science, 2003
Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus
Best Thesis Award, Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus.
Employment
Cyprus University of Technology
Associate Professor, 2021 - today
Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts, Cyprus University of Technology
Assistant Professor, 2016 - 2021
Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts, Cyprus University of Technology
Lecturer, 2012 - 2015
Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts, Cyprus University of Technology
CYENS / RISE Centre of Excellence
CYENS - Research Centre on Interactive Media Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies, Cyprus, 2014 (write-up), 2015-2016 (Phase 1) & 2017-2023 (Phase2)
Founding CUT Coordinator, 2014 - today
Deputy Scientific Overall Coordinator, 2014 - 2023
Visual Sciences Research Pillar Leader, 2017 - 2023
Research Group Leader, 2017 - 2023
Virtual Reality for Well Being Multidisciplinary Research Group
CUT Coordinator, 2014 - 2021
University of Barcelona
Post-doctoral Research visitor, 06.2011 - 12.2011
Event-Lab: Experimental Lab of Virtual Environments for Neuroscience and Technology, Department of Psychology, University of Barcelona (working with Prof. Mel Slater)
University of Nicosia
Lecturer, 2009 - 2011
Design and Multimedia Department, University of Nicosia
University of Cyprus
Research Associate/Assistant, 2002 - 2010
Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus
Awards & Distinctions
Elected Advisory Board Member of the European Association for eXtended Realities. The elections took place by the General Assembly with secret
balloting and the results were announced at the Ordinary General Meeting of the association. The position is for a three years term, 01.2025 - 12.2027.
Ranked in top 1% of all Frontiers Loop authors, in ‘Views of Frontiers Articles’ impact benchmark, according to Frontiers, 2024, 2025.
Featuring at Journal’s Front Page. Our publication ‘Development of a Modular Adjustable Wearable Haptic Device for XR Applications’ published in MDPI Virtual Worlds Journal is featuring at journal’s front page, January-March 2025.
Extremely Highly Cited publication for the journal publication ‘Social Interaction With Agents and Avatars in Immersive Virtual Environments: A Survey’, published in Frontiers in Virtual Reality.
Compared to other publications in the same field, this publication is extremely highly cited and has received over 49 times more citations than average, according to Dimensions platform, 2024, 2025.
Additionally the same article, has more views and more downloads than 97% of all Frontiers articles, according to Frontiers, 2024 & 2025.
Ranked in the top first category, based on the set criteria by the University, in regards to its academics’ distinguished research activity, for the allocation of ‘Research Activity’ budget granted annually to each academic, 2024.
SALTO Projects Awards Finalist. The VRTEACHER project, in which I was participating as a consortium member, made it for the Salto Awards Finals 2023, the annual contest promoting great projects all over the Europe. Only 15 projects made if for the finals out of more than 200 participations.
Award Recipient of the Female Personality Award ‘Squaring the Circle’ for the multi-facet contribution in Science and Society, awarded by the Cyprus University of Technology, 2023.
Featuring at Remarkable Women in Science Showcase, European University of Technology, 2023.
Best Poster Audience Award at ICAT-EGVE 2020: 30th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence and Eurographics Symposium on Virtual Environments, Orlando, Florida, USA, for the paper ‘A Virtual Reality Adaptive Exergame for the Enhancement of Physical Rehabilitation Using Social Facilitation.’
Top Downloaded Paper 2018-2019 certification for the publication ‘Asch conformity experiment using immersive virtual reality’ in the ‘Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds’ (CAVW) journal.
Awarded Grant of a total ∼50M EUR budget, divided into ∼35M EUR monetary funding and ∼15M EUR in-kind contributions, under the scheme of Teaming- Horizon2020 (Phase 2) scheme, for the establishment of a new Research Centre, named ‘RISE’, now known as CYENS. I was a core initiator of the entire effort, the Founding Coordinator for the Cyprus University of Technology and the overall Deputy Scientific Coordinator of the entire project (2017 - 2023). I played a pivotal and instrumental role in securing the 50 million euros budget. Within the centre I held the position of the Leader of the core Research Pillar of the centre, that of the Visual Sciences and was leading the ‘VR for Well-Being’ research group.
Best Paper Award at VSMM 2014: 20th International Conference on Virtual Systems & Multimedia, Hong Kong, for the paper ‘Sound Propagation in 3D Spaces Using Computer Graphics Techniques’ (Advances in Technology Session).
Best Paper Award at VS-GAMES 2014: 6th International Conference on Virtual Worlds and Games for Serious Applications, Msida, Malta, for the paper “Aliens versus Humans: Do avatars make a difference in how we play the game?”.
Grant received from the Microsoft Cyprus for the establishment of the research lab that I founded and direct, the Microsoft Computer Games and Emerging Technologies Research Lab - GET Lab, 2012.
Nomination for the Best PhD Thesis Award 2011, Eurographics: European Association in Computer Graphics, 2011.
Scholarship recipient: The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship 2008, awarded by Google to 20 candidates out of 295 applications, from 157 universities in 31 countries, 2008. http://www.google.com/anitaborg/emea/winners.html
Others & Earlier years:
- 1st place award at the local final of Microsoft Imagine Cup 2014 - Games Category competition and pass to the world semifinals competition, with the team ‘Dive’ which worked under my supervision.
- 2nd place award at the local competition of Logipaignion 2010: Design and development of a computer game - University students category, for the team of the University of icosia which worked under my supervision, 2010.
- 1st place award for the design of the University of Cyprus mascot, Sofia the bee, 2008.
- Award of the postgraduate program MSc in Advanced Information Technologies, for the highest grade among all graduate students of the Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus, 2005.
- Best Thesis Award for my BSc thesis, Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus, 2003.
- Distinction at the Undergraduate Research Competition PRO-FOIT 2002-2003, Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (RPF), 2003.
- 1st place at the introductory examinations for the Computer Science Department, University of Cyprus, 1999.
Professional Activities & Memberships
International Invited Talks, Keynote Speaker, Panelists & Conference Presentations:
Delivered talks at international fora included but not limited to the below countries:
United Arab of Emirates, Hong Kong, Canada, USA, Spain, Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus
Advisory Boards & International Steering Committees Member:
European Association of eXtended Realities (2025-today), EGVE Working Group (2019-today), ICAT Steering Committee (2018-today).
Chair of International Conferences & Workshops Committees:
EuroXR2025 (Lead Program Chair), EuroXR2024 (Application track Lead Program Chair), EuroXR2023 (Application track - Program co-Chair), ICAT-EGVE 2018 (Lead General Chair & Organization Chair), Social Computing Special Session - CGI 2018 (Co-organizer), Visual Computing Track - ISD 2017 (Track Chair), EUROMED-VRGCH 2016 (Organization Chair & International Program Committee Chair), MELECON 2016 (Thematic Area Chair & International Program Committee Member)
Member of International Program/Scientific Committee:
EuroXR2025, EAI-ArtsIT 2024, EuroXR2024, EuroXR 2023, IEEE CoG 2021, ISD 2017, VSMM 2016, EUROMED-VRGCH 2016, IEEE Melecon 2016 (track chair), VSMM 2014, Digital Heritage International Congress 2013, VSMM 2013, GCH 2013, DigitalHeritage 2013, MEMORY OF THE WORLD 2013, VSMM 2012, VAST 2011, EHCDE 2011, EuroMed 2010, VAST 2010, EuroMed 2010, ECMS 2008
Reviewer scientific journals and conferences & Grants proposals/ projects reviewer/evaluator:
Computers in Human Behavior journal 2025, Frontiers in Virtual Reality journal 2025 , EuroXR 2025, ERC Synergy Grant 2024, Virtual Reality journal 2024, Frontiers in Virtual Reality journal 2024, EuroXR 2024, EAT ArtsIT 2024, EuroXR 2023, IEEE Transaction on Games journal 2021, Frontiers in Computer Science journal, 2021, IEEE CoG 2021, IEEE Transactions on Games journal, 2021, Educational Technology & Society journal, 2020, Virtual Reality journal, 2020, IEEE VR 2020, PCI 2018, ISD 2017, IEEE Transactions and Multimedia Journal 2017, VSMM 2016, MELECON 2016, EUROMED-VRGCH 2016, WSCG2015, VSMM 2014, Digital Heritage International Congress 2013, VSMM 2013, GCH 2013, MEMORY OF THE WORLD 2013, EG 2012, VSMM2012, C&G Journal 2011, VAST 2011, EHCIDE 2011, EG 2011, VS-Games 2011, VAST 2010, Euromed 2010, CGF Journal Vol. 4 2009, PG 2009, i3D 2009, ECMS 2008, VSMM 2008, CGF Journal Vol. 4 2007, EG 2007, VRST 2006
Editorial Duties
- Frontiers in Virtual Reality journal - section: Virtual Reality and Human Behaviour, Review Editor, 2023, 2024, 2025.
- EuroXR 2025: 22nd EuroXR International Conference, Proceedings Editor, published by Springer, 2025.
- EuroXR 2024: 21st EuroXR International Conference, Proceedings Editor, published by VTT, 2024.
- ICAT-EGVE 2018: 28th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence and 23rd Eurographics Symposium on Virtual Environments - Posters and Demos, Proceedings Editor, published by Eurographics, 2018.
- Melecon 2016: 18th Mediterranean Electrotechnical Conference , Proceedings Editor, published by IEEE, 2016.
Session chairman:
EuroXR2025, EuroXR 2024, MELECON 2016 (2 sessions), EUROMED 2016, CWSPI 2015, Euromed 2010 (2 sessions), ECMS 2008
Volunteer Member of Local Organizing Committee:
EGSR 2006, ANS 2006, VRST 2006
Member of professional associations:
ACM SIGGRAPH, EUROGRAPHICS, EUROXR, IEEE, ACM Woman Cyprus Chapter, ACM SIGCHI Cyprus Chapter