Lab Director
Professor of Computer Science
David Thornton, Ph.D.
Dr. Thornton developed the Game Design concentration in his department in 2007, where he has supervised hundreds of student team game projects for 2D, 3D, and virtual reality, including the VR game Tower Ascent, available on Steam.
He was awarded the George Mehaffy Excellence in Learning Technology Award for the creation of multiple web-based gamification tools for use in high school and university curricula. These tools were used in more than 40 schools across seven countries.
Student Researchers
Current Team Members
Students contribute to applied research projects involving artificial intelligence, software development, tourism, gamification, and interactive systems.
Student Researcher
Prashant Basyal
Current Project
Comparison of Retrieval-Augmented Generation Architectures
This study compares modern retrieval-augmented generation architectures across multiple metrics, including performance, token cost, and accuracy.
Student Researcher
Johnny Elisee
Current Project
Alabama Go! Tourism App
This application awards badges to visitors who check in at key tourism destinations while providing background information about each location.
Student Researcher
Connor Muncher
Current Project
Gaussian Splatting and Volumetric Media for Game Development
Connor is exploring Gaussian splatting and volumetric media, with a particular focus on how emerging three-dimensional representation and rendering techniques can be applied to modern game development.
Scholarship
Selected Publications
Conversational Teaching Assistant Supported by Large Language Model in Immersive Virtual Reality Game
Thornton, D. C. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
The Potential of Gaming to Ameliorate Human Factors in Information Security Compliance
Thornton, D. C. In G. Francia III and J. Zanzig (Eds.), Global Perspectives on Information Security Regulations: Compliance, Controls, and Assurance . Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global.
Student Opportunities
Interested in Joining?
Students interested in artificial intelligence, immersive media, game development, computer vision, multimodal interaction, or three-dimensional computing are encouraged to discuss possible projects and research opportunities.
Contact Dr. Thornton