Curriculum Vitae

Ph.D. Candidate & HCI Researcher

Education

Jan 2024 – Present

Ph.D. in Computer Science

Concordia University • Montreal, Canada
  • Advisor: Dr. Anil Ufuk Batmaz
  • Research Focus: Hand Tracking Failures in VR, Immersive AI Assistive Systems, Hybrid User Interfaces.
2022

B.S. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering

Kadir Has University • Istanbul, Turkey
  • Senior Project: MuscleNET: Smart Predictive Analysis for Muscular Activity Using Wearable Sensors (ASYU'22).
  • Relevant Coursework: Computer Programming, Game Programming, Circuit Design, Microprocessors, Design of Experiments, Signal Processing.

Research Experience

Summer 2026
Incoming

Visiting Researcher

Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) • Nara, Japan
  • Recipient of the prestigious Mitacs Global Research Internship Award.
  • Joining the Cybernetics and Reality Engineering (CARE) Laboratory under the supervision of Prof. Kiyoshi Kiyokawa.
  • Project: "Mitigating Detrimental Effects of Vergence Accommodation Conflict (VAC) in Stereo Displays."
Jan 2024 – Present

Ph.D. Researcher

Concordia University • Montreal, Canada
Funded by Google
  • Google-Funded Projects: Engineered an early-warning system for common hand-tracking failures in VR. Detected tracking loss before it occurs and provided visual feedback to reduce tracking loss and improve user experience. Used eye-tracking and user behavior logging to analyze user reaction for early warnings. Resulted in publications in PLOS ONE and IEEE Access.
  • Designed and validated novel interaction techniques for "Mid-Air Object Manipulation," implementing algorithms for Object Speed Control to enhance user precision (Published at ISMAR 2024).
  • Developed high-fidelity experimental testbeds in Unity (C#), ensuring consistent performance to maintain ecological validity during user studies.
  • Conducted mixed-methods user studies for each paper.
2021 – 2022

Undergraduate Researcher

Kadir Has University • Istanbul, Turkey
Best Graduation Project Award
  • MuscleNET: Engineered a wearable system using Arduino/MyoWare and Deep Neural Networks and LSTM networks to predict injuries and evaluate training quality; results published in IEEE ASYU'22.
  • Academic Excellence: Graduated as the Top Ranking Student (GPA: 3.94/4.00) in the Kadir Has University among all departments and faculties.

Professional Experience

June 2022 – June 2023

Mobile Game Developer

Servo Studios • Istanbul, Turkey
  • Engineered and shipped 5 mobile titles, achieving +10,000 downloads and $0.31 CPI (cost-per-install).
  • Optimized frame rate and memory usage for low-end devices; skills now applied to optimizing real-time research simulations.
  • Implemented telemetry systems to track user engagement, providing a foundation for quantitative user research.
  • Collaborated with publisher Moonee to prototype designs and UI/UX, translating wireframes into interactive applications.

Technical Skills

Interactive Dev

Unity 3D (C#) Unreal Engine XR SDKs (Meta/ARCore)

Hardware & IoT

Arduino / ESP32 Circuit Design Soldering Signal Processing

Research Methods

Experimental Design Latin Square ANOVA / t-tests User Studies

Data & Tools

Python C / C++ LaTeX Git SPSS / JMP Figma

Teaching Experience

Jan 2024 – Present

Teaching Assistant

Concordia University • Montreal, Canada

COMP 476: Advanced Game Development

  • Winter 2026 (Incoming): Lab Demonstrator.
  • Winter 2025 (Marker): Graded assignments/demos for Dr. A.U. Batmaz.
  • Winter 2024 (Lab Instructor): Taught 2 lab sections on game programming patterns.

COMP 376: Introduction to Game Development

  • Fall 2025 (Lab & Marker): Taught 2 lab sections & graded projects for Dr. Joachim Despland-Lichtert.
  • Fall 2024 (Lab Instructor): Taught foundational game programming (1 section) for Dr. A.U. Batmaz.

SOEN 287: Web Programming

  • Winter 2026 (Incoming): Marker.

Volunteering & Service

Nov 2025

Student Volunteer Chair

ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology (VRST '25)
  • Coordinated the student volunteer team to support conference operations.
  • Managed logistics for conference merchandise, leading the design, ordering, and shipping of T-shirts and hoodies.
2024 & 2025

Event Volunteer (GirlSET)

Concordia University
  • Participated in the GirlSET outreach program (coordinated by Dr. Bahareh Goodarzi).
  • Presented personal research and previous studies to the public to promote STEM engagement.

Selected Publications (First Author)

For a full list, please visit the Publications Page.

  • Funded by Google
    IEEE Access Gemici, M., Hatira, A., Phadnis, V., & Batmaz, A. U. (2025). Gaze Analysis in Early Warning Visual Feedback System for Hand Tracking Failures in Virtual Reality. IEEE Access.
  • Funded by Google
    PLOS ONE Gemici, M., Phadnis, V., & Batmaz, A. U. (2025). Before hands disappear: Effect of early warning visual feedback method for hand tracking failures in VR. PLOS ONE.
  • ISMAR '24 Gemici, M., Stuerzlinger, W., & Batmaz, A. U. (2024). Object Speed Control with a Signed Distance Field for Distant Mid-Air Object Manipulation in VR. IEEE ISMAR.
  • Best Project Award
    IEEE ASYU '22 Gemici, M., Korkmaz, K., et al. (2022). MuscleNET: Smart Predictive Analysis for Muscular Activity Using Wearable Sensors. IEEE ASYU.