Who We Are
Kay M. Stanney, Ph.D., NAE

Kay M. Stanney, Ph.D., NAE

CEO and Founder, Design Interactive (DI), Inc.

Dr. Kay M. Stanney is CEO and Founder of Design Interactive (DI), Inc., a woman-owned, small business focused on human-systems integration. She is recognized as a leader in eXtended Reality (XR, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality) systems, especially as related to training, human performance, and cybersickness. In 2019, she was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for her contributions to human factors engineering through virtual reality technology and strategic leadership. Her research has influenced the design of current generation XR headsets, Universal Studios and Disney immersive experiences, Chevron immersive environments, Procter & Gamble training solutions, as well as numerous military XR systems. Stanney has been a pioneer in formalizing XR R&D by serving as editor of the Handbook of Virtual Environments: Design, Implementation, and Applications (1st edition, 2002, LEA; 2nd edition, 2014, CRC Press), co-founding/co-chairing the 1st International Conference on Virtual Reality, and co-founding the Virtual Environments Technical Group (VETG) within the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. In recognition of these efforts, Dr. Stanney received the 2006 IEEE Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award from the IEEE Computer Society, an award designed to honor individuals for their seminal technical achievement in virtual and augmented reality. She received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, after which time she spent three years working as a manufacturing/quality engineer for Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, California. She received her Masters and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, with a focus on Human Factors Engineering, from Purdue University, after which time she spent 15 years as an Industrial Engineering professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF).