Tricia Thrasher, PhD

About Me

I obtained my PhD in Second Language Acquisition and French from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I extensively researched how virtual reality impacts language learning outcomes. Now, I work as the Research Manager at Immerse. 

In my role as Research Manager, I lead the development of Immerse’s Research Agenda and manage our 25+ external research partners from universities around the world. I have also secured $100,000 in grant funding and $250,000 in virtual reality equipment from Meta to support VR implementation for language learning and research in underserved secondary schools throughout the U.S. 

I have extensive experience designing research studies to examine how technology impacts language learning using speech data, physiological data (heart rate and salivary cortisol), surveys, interviews, observations, and other tools. I am a mixed methods researcher and have experience collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data.

During my doctoral studies, I received grant funding for my research from organizations such as Duolingo, Language Learning, and NFMLTA. My main doctoral study also received the ACTFL Award for Doctoral Dissertation Research in World Language Education and one of my articles on this work received the 2023 CALICO Journal Article of the Year Award.

I have authored several articles in high-impact, peer-reviewed academic journals and am currently an active leader in the CALICO Immersive Realities Special Interest Group, a group of language learning scholars dedicated to understanding how XR technology can support learning. I also serve as a member of the CALICO Journal's Editorial Advisory Board.

I am an experienced public speaker, having presented at large national and international conferences. I am also frequently invited to give presentations on how VR can be integrated into language courses and curricula. You can read more about these presentations in my CV.