Social & Interactive Media Lab
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
The academic research home of Dr. Alex P. Leith, Associate Professor (Tenured) of Mass Communications at SIUE. We study the humans who use social platforms, virtual environments, and interactive media — from Twitch streams to VR workplaces — producing peer-reviewed scholarship, open educational resources, and open-source tools alongside student researchers.
02 — Research Focus
Virtual Environments
We examine social interaction and behavior within immersive digital spaces — from videoconferencing fatigue and team cohesion in virtual meetings to social support in VRChat. Supported by a $1.6M NSF grant on the future of work in VR.
Gameplay & Livestreaming
We study video game players and the communities that form around gameplay on livestreaming platforms like Twitch — investigating parasocial relationships with streamers, avatar identity, and synchronous chat dynamics.
HCI
Our HCI work focuses on designing and evaluating interactive computing systems — from open-source educational software to VR user experience research aimed at enhancing well-being and equity.
03 — Lab Updates
Stay updated with our latest news, papers, and announcements on Medium.