Mr. Rizzo is clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist who established one of the world’s first Clinical Virtual Reality (VR) Laboratories at the University of Southern California (USC) in 1995.
LOS ANGELES, CA, May 31, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — Albert “Skip” Rizzo has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Rizzo is clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist who established one of the world’s first Clinical Virtual Reality (VR) Laboratories at the University of Southern California (USC) in 1995. He is the Director of Medical Virtual Reality (MedVR) at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and is a Research Professor with the USC Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and at the USC Davis School of Gerontology.
Over the course of his academic career in VR, he has focused on the design, development, and evaluation of many VR and Virtual Human (VH) systems targeting the areas of clinical diagnosis, treatment, and human clinical/non-clinical research. This work spans the domains of psychological, cognitive, and motor functioning in both healthy and clinical populations. Perhaps best known for his innovative and empirically validated use of VR/VHs in the treatment of PTSD in veterans of war and survivors of sexual trauma, he has a long history of working in an interdisciplinary fashion with computer scientists, graphic artists, software engineers, and medical/industry leaders on VR/VH applications to address PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Suicide Prevention, Autism, ADHD, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, and other clinical health conditions. He also works on the development of health and wellness applications that leverage AI and Virtual Human interaction.
In addition to his academic career, Dr. Rizzo serves in various scientific consulting roles for such companies as Cognitive Leap, UbiquityVX, Penumbra, Conversage, MyndVR, SidekickAI, Attune Media, FireflyVR, NeoAuvra, and VirtuLeap.
Exceptional academic accomplishments form the foundation for Mr. Rizzo’s career advancement. He earned a PhD in clinical psychology from Binghamton University in 1991 and holds a Master of Science in experimental psychology from the University of New Orleans, which he completed in 1981. Additionally, Mr. Rizzo finished a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Hartford in 1977. Moreover, he has authored or co-authored over 350 scientific papers in his field and continues to present his work at many scientific and professional conferences.
Mr. Rizzo maintains crucial networks through affiliation with prominent organizations. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Neuropsychological Society and the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation. Additionally, Mr. Rizzo is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
A deep dedication to advancing virtual reality as a tool for psychological trauma treatment stands out as Mr. Rizzo’s most notable achievement. He cites perseverance, hard work and a unique perspective on using technology to improve humanity as significant contributors to his success, and Mr. Rizzo also values learning from past mistakes.
Mr. Rizzo’s contributions to his field have been recognized with several awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from IEEE in 2023 and the Distinguished Service Award from the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation in 2021. He was also honored with the Innovation in Trauma Award by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Notably, Mr. Rizzo also contributes meaningfully to the ongoing scholarly conversation in his field, and his credits include co-author of “Clinical Virtual Reality: The State of the Science” which reflects his commitment to addressing mental health challenges through innovative methods.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Mr. Rizzo enjoys an active personal life that includes playing rugby, listening to progressive rock and jazz, attending concerts and riding a motorcycle. Looking toward the future, he plans to leverage his extensive academic knowledge to create products that will benefit people on a global scale, and Mr. Rizzo aims to develop systems that will not only prove helpful to individuals but that can also enhance societal well-being. To view some videos on his work, please visit this YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SkipRizzoClinicalVR/videos
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