Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 73 INTERVIEW WITH LAURA M. STANLEY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY REALITY the reader will virtually step into the story, to feel it and to experience it more intimately. Leaving a greater impression on the reader in the end. OK, USING YOUR MOST WILD IMAGINING, WHAT WILL THE ULTIMATE USE OF VR IN MONTANA IN 2046? e ultimate use of VR would be one where you could see, touch, hear, smell, and taste locations elsewhere. I think in the future VR could be used by the disabled and the elderly. We will see a greater emphasis in the area of physical rehabilitation, treatment of pain, improvement of cognitive functioning, social skills training, augmentation tool for those with developmental disabilities, communication and collabora- tion enhancements, and education. rill seekers will have the ability to be immersed in activities that their more abled or younger counterparts experience throughout Montana. is may include virtually experiencing extreme skiing down the Big Coulier at Big Sky, hiking the ridge at Bridger Bowl, or experiencing the thrill of downhill biking. Or, on the less extreme side, the sensation of landing a beautiful rainbow trout while fishing or for those lovers of wolves , viewing bears, moose, etc. up close. ank you, Professor Stanley DR. LAURA STANLEY is an Associate Profes- sor in the Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Department at Montana State University and a Research Scientist at the Western Transportation Institute, where she is the Founder & Director of the Human Factors Driving Laboratory. She is cur- rently serving as Program Director in the Director- ate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Stanley's research interests include human factors engineer- ing; biomechanics/ergonomics; human computer interaction (HCI); human-centered design in engineering; virtual reality validity, training and assessment; and engineering education. Her projects while at MSU have included the validation of virtual reality environments and human computer interaction applications. She has collaborated with several outside partners, some of which include: the National Science Foundation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations, Montana Department of Transportation, Bozeman Deaconess Hos- pital, Montana's Office of Public Instruction. Dr. Stanley has studied how to better integrate service learning applications and communica- tion needs of our nation's future engineers. KALEVA 1/2 Kaleva Law Office Montana K-12 Educational Law 406.542.1300 1911 S. Higgins • Missoula, MT www.kalevalaw.com Ka l e va L aw Offi c e Elizabeth Kaleva for Education Law and Employment Law Litigation Defense to School Districts and their Employees School and Employment Law Counseling Special Education and Federal Programs Employee Misconduct and Discipline Student Misconduct and Discipline Contact Preparation and Negotiations 50 Years of combined experience in education and employment law. Best Lawyers' 2017 Missoula Employment Law - Management " L a w y e r o f t h e Y e a r " TIER 1 RANKING

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