Thanassis Rikakis is Professor and Director of the Arts Media and Engineering (AME) Program at Arizona State University. Thanassis Rikakis' research and creation focuses on mixed-reality rehabilitation; computer-mediated arts and complex experiences; and interdisciplinary education. His educational background is in music composition, computer music and psychoacoustics. He is the founding director of AME and principal investigator of the NSF IGERT grant awarded to AME in 2005.