Get to know Dr. Nate Phillips
- Mississippi State University
Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science
Graduated August 2022, cumulative GPA – 3.86/4.0 - Mississippi State University
Masters of Science in Computer Science
Graduated with Thesis May 2013, cumulative GPA – 3.89/4.0 - Christian Brothers University Memphis, Tennessee
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and minor in Mathematics
Graduated May 2011, cumulative GPA – 3.38/4.0
- Java - C#
- C++ - Python
- R - SQL & T-SQL
- Perl - Javascript PHP C
- AI & Agentic Development - RAG & vector search Augmented Reality Development Web Development
- Virtual Reality Development - App Development
- Unity Development - .NET Framework
- Database Design & Optimization - Data Visualization
- Modeling - Statistical Analysis
- RESTful frameworks - CI/CD & Git
- N. Phillips, X-Ray Vision at Action Space Distances: Depth Perception in Context (doctoral dissertation), Proquest/UMI, 2022, https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6556&context=td.
- N. Phillips, F.A. Khan, M.S. Arefin, C.L. Bethel, J. Stefanucci, and J.E. Swan II, A Conceptual Replication and Extension of Triangulation by Walking for Measuring Perceived Distance Through a Wall, 2022 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct, Singapore, October 17-21. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISMAR-Adjunct57072.2022.00063
- M.S. Arefin, N. Phillips, A. Plopski, J.L. Gabbard, and J.E. Swan II, The Effect of Context Switching, Focal Switching Distance, Binocular and Monocular Viewing, and Transient Focal Blur on Human Performance in Optical See-Through Augmented Reality. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics 28.5 (2022): 2014-2025. https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2022.3150503
- F.A. Khan, K.R. Muvva, Dennis Wu, M.S. Arefin, N. Phillips, and J.E. Swan II, Measuring the Perceived Three-Dimensional Location of Virtual Objects in Optical See-Through Augmented Reality, 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR), Bari, Italy, October 4-8, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW52623.2021.00211
- N. Phillips, B. Kruse, F.A. Khan, J.E. Swan II, and C.L. Bethel, A Robotic Augmented Reality Virtual Window for Law Enforcement Operations, HCI International 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 19-24. Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNISA,volume 12190). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49695-1_40
- N. Phillips, K. Massey, M.S. Arefin, and J.E. Swan II, Design, Assembly, Calibration, and Measurement of an Augmented Reality Haploscope, 2019 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR), Osaka, Japan, March 23-27, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2019.8798335
- T. Cook, N. Phillips, K. Massey, A. Plopski, C. Sandor, and J.E. Swan II, User Preference for SharpView-Enhanced Virtual Text during Non-Fixated Viewing, IEEE Virtual Reality 2018, Reutlingen, Germany, March 18-22, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2018.8446058
- N. Phillips, The Inference Engine (Master’s Thesis), Proquest/UMI, 2013. https://search.proquest.com/openview/77a30f546687c5064394bada79e9a49e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y.
- M. Zhang and N. Phillips, Evaluating Depth Perception in Augmented Reality X-Ray Vision, 2025 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), Saint Malo, France, March 8-12, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW66409.2025.00305
- N. Phillips, F.A. Khan, M.S. Arefin, C.L. Bethel, and J.E. Swan II,
Measuring Virtual Object Location with X-Ray Vision at Action Space Distances, 2022 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), Christchurch, New Zealand, March 12-16, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW55335.2022.00261 - F.A. Khan, M.S. Arefin, N. Phillips, and J.E. Swan II, A Replication Study to Measure
the Perceived Three-Dimensional Location of Virtual Objects in Optical See Through
Augmented Reality, 2022 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces
Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), Christchurch, New Zealand, March 12-16, 2022.
https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW55335.2022.00249 - M.S. Arefin, N. Phillips, A. Plopski, and J.E. Swan II, Effects of a Distracting Background and Focal Switching Distance in an Augmented Reality System, 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct), Bari, Italy, October 4-8, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISMAR-Adjunct54149.2021.00029
- N. Phillips, F.A. Khan, B. Kruse, C.L. Bethel, and J.E. Swan II, An X-Ray Vision System
for Situation Awareness in Action Space, 2021 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and
3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), March 27-April 2, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW52623.2021.00179 - F.A. Khan, K.R. Muvva, D. Wu, M.S. Arefin, N. Phillips, and J.E. Swan II, A Method for Measuring the Perceived Location of Virtual Content in Optical See Through Augmented Reality, 2021 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), March 27-April 2, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW52623.2021.00211
- M.S. Arefin, N. Phillips, A. Plopski, J.L. Gabbard, and J.E. Swan II, Impact of AR
Display Context Switching and Focal Distance Switching on Human Performance: Replication
on an AR Haploscope, 2020 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces
Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), Atlanta, Georgia, March 22-26, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1109/VRW50115.2020.00137
Honorable Mention (best poster) - N. Phillips, K. Massey, M.S. Arefin, and J.E. Swan II, Design and Calibration of an Augmented Reality Haploscope, 2018 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct), Munich, Germany, October 16-20, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISMAR-Adjunct.2018.00037
- N. Phillips and J.E. Swan II, A Procedure for Accurate Calibration of a Tabletop Haploscope AR Environment, IEEE Virtual Reality 2015, Arles, France, March 23-27, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2015.7223394
- P. Curtis, N. Phillips, D. Simpkins, and T.J. Jankun-Kelly, A Tool for Rapid Visual Interrogation and Triage of Alerts, Proceedings of the Workshop on Visualization for Cyber Security, VizSec (Vol. 14), Paris, France, November 10, 2014. https://vizsec.org/files/2014/curtis-abstract.pdf
- N. Phillips, Inference Engine, NGCHC 2013 Annual Science Meeting, Mobile, AL, USA, June 12-14, 2013.
- N. Phillips, Inference Engine, NGCHC 2012 Annual Science
Meeting, New Orleans, LA, USA, May 29-30, 2012.
Presented “Augmented Reality X-Ray Vision for Accurate Perceptual Situation Awareness at Action-Space Distances” at the HI5 Lab Summer Seminar Series. Uploaded on August 8, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evIeqvnsysY
Speaker at the Tutor Collaboration Day 2018 keynote lunch,
hosted by the Southeastern Writing Center Association
Participated in the ACS Teaching & Learning Workshop (June 2024). Workshop focused on improving teaching by critically examining short moments of instructional time called slices.
- Review board member of International Symposium on Mixed and
Augmented Reality (ISMAR) International Program Committee, June – August 2022. - Active reviewer of mixed reality publications across 7 distinct communities since 2017.
- IEEE member from 9-22-09 to present
- ACM member from 1-20-14 to present
- Tau Beta Pi honor society member since 4-24-10
- Upsilon Pi Epsilon honor society member since 4-18-13
University of Memphis Memphis, TN
Assistant Professor of Teaching Aug 2026 – Present
(R1 research college deeply committed to 1st generation students) Teaching Applied
Technology courses in the Polytechnic and serving as graduate coordinator for the
program. Responsibilities include connecting with students, evaluating graduate program
structure/prerequisites, developing courses, and presenting lectures and demonstrations.
Classes taught include:
➢AIFA 2010 – Skills and Techniques for Applied AI
➢TECH 2251 – Advanced Programming Technology (co-taught)
Courses under development:
➢TECH 3711– Applied Machine Learning Tools
➢TECH 7701 – Computational Thinking and Language Model Fundamentals
Rhodes College Memphis, TN
Visiting Assistant Professor Aug 2023 – Aug 2025 (Liberal arts college ranked #33
for best undergraduate teaching)
Taught computer science courses, mentored exceptional students, and developed course
materials in Python and Java. Classes taught include:
➢COMP 142 – Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
➢COMP 231 – Introduction to Computer Organization
➢COMP 241 – Data Structures and Algorithms
➢COMP 372 – Artificial Intelligence Other contributions include: ➢Presented “Evaluating depth perception in Augmented Reality X-Ray Vision” with undergraduate researcher at international conference.
➢10+ students accepted into prestigious internships and programs.
➢Eight students have accepted the Jack U. Russel Award for Outstanding Work in Computer Science.
Mississippi Space Grant Consortium Oxford, Mississippi
Student Fellow Jul 2015 – May 2018
(NASA-supported network of 17 Mississippi universities dedicated to aerospace research
and STEM education/outreach)
Presented technical demonstrations of scientific merit, using augmented reality, virtual
reality, and C++, to students at
Armstrong Middle School. Outside of demonstrations, assisted
the teacher and helped students, including Armstrong’s LEGO
Mindstorm competition teams, learn and overcome technical
challenges in their class work.
MS State Computer Science Department Mississippi State, Mississippi
Teaching Assistant Aug 2013 – May 2014
Taught the CSE 1384 Intermediate Programming lab in the computer science department
at Mississippi State and helped the professor by grading tests and assignments.
CBU Writing Center Memphis, Tennessee
Writing Consultant Jan 2008 – May 2011 (Nationally recognized writing center with
a CARE certification)
Helped CBU students improve their writing by giving them advice on editing and revising
papers. Worked with a variety of majors, writing skill levels, and backgrounds, building
up my communication, teaching, and tutoring skillset.
LCOM Tutoring Memphis, Tennessee
Student Tutor Aug 2010 – May 2011
Tutored CBU students in chemistry and calculus as part of CBU’s Living/Learning program.
Spatial Perception and Augmented Reality Research Lab Mississippi State, Mississippi
Lab Lead Jan 2020 – Aug 2022 (Lab focused on interdisciplinary research in augmented
reality)
Researched projects related to perception and police robotics. Developed and experimentally
tested an x-ray vision system with C# and Unity that used an augmented reality head-mounted
display to see through solid walls based on remote sensor feeds. Human subjects tests
were created using Python and Perl, and R was used in the statistical and data analysis,
as well as to create the corresponding graphs and figures.
➢Authored 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 and 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬.
➢Developed a functional x-ray vision system that allowed participants using an augmented
reality head-mounted display to see through solid walls based on remote sensor feeds.
➢Successfully defended 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Starkville, Mississippi
Research Assistant May 2014 – Aug 2022 (Technology development center with impacts
of ~$50 million)
Technical developer and lead for US Army Department of Defense research involving
remote maintenance instructions, digital twinning, data analysis, visualizations,
and other interventions in virtual and augmented reality, created using C#, C++, and
Unity and tested using C++, Perl, and Python. R was used for statistical and data
analysis and to create figures.
➢Lead author of the internal annual report for two years.
➢Authored 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 and 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬.
➢Developed a set of 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, deployable on tablets,
smartphones, laptops, and AR Devices.
Northern Gulf Coastal Hazards Collaboratory Starkville, Mississippi
Research Assistant Aug 2011 – May 2013 (Interdisciplinary group linking models with
visualization tools, for community resilience against natural disasters)
Researching and designing the Inference Engine, a system for predicting hydrological
data. This system was designed using C++ and R. Funded by a grant from NSF. ➢Presented
𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 at the Northern Gulf Coastal Hazards Collaboratory annual
meeting.
➢Designed an advanced analytical model for predicting multivariate data using support
vector regression, splines, and linear regression. ➢Successfully defended 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫'𝐬
𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬.
Daybreak Technologies, LLC Memphis, TN
Co-Founder Started Jan 2021
Developing and publishing an app for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) discrete trial
training (DTT) for special education students, using C# and the .NET framework. This
application helps teachers perform ABA interventions, in an approach that has been
shown to be effective for special needs individuals.
➢Raised $12,700 in startup funds.
➢Member of the 2022 Cobuilders Accelerator Cohort; earned the "most progress" award.
➢Placed 2nd in the MSU Startup Summit 2022 New Product Division III competition.
➢Placed 1st in the MSU Startup Summit 2021 Elevator Pitch competition.
Strategic Multi-Layer Assessment Contested
Space Operations Stillwater, Oklahoma
Programmer Jul 2017 – Oct 2017 (Interdisciplinary grant with significant impact, including
analysis of 250+ Russian military documents)
Designed and implemented software solutions for SMA, especially in the areas of data
aggregation and collection. Funded by a grant from the US government. Python was used
to design software.
➢Created a scraper program that was critical for the project, 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 and 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲.
- Microsoft: SQL AI Developer Associate
- Foundation: Introduction to LangChain - Python
- Basic Life Support (CPR and AED)
- Social and Behavioral Research
- Responsible Conduct of Research
- Fencing: An active modern fencer since fall 2006.
- Historical rapier fencer since spring 2009.
- President of the Mississippi State Dueling Dawgs fencing club from December 2015 to August 2022. Taught fencing classes of up to 35 students, led a group of student officers, and hosted multi-state tournaments as part of duties.
- Selected as Athlete of the Year (Fencing) at the State Games of Mississippi 2017, 2021, and 2022.