Welcome to the website for the Social & Interactive Media Lab @ SIUE. The SIM Lab is the house for the research of Dr. Alex P. Leith and their student assistants. Dr. Leith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mass Communications. A portion of Leith's work is done in conjunction with the Beyond Meet Space research collective. Their work includes a $1.6 million NSF grant studying virtual reality and the future of work.
The majority of the research from this lab is focused on social platforms. Our areas of interest range from traditional social media (e.g., Twitter & Reddit) to mixed-media platforms (e.g., YouTube & Twitch).
We are also interested in video games and their players. We are especially interseted in the role of games in the lives of marginalized communities, including women, LGBTQ, and neuro-atypicals.
The future of Virtual Reality (VR) technology is exciting. We are presently researching its role in findings equity and inclusion for remote work among video game developers. This includes meetings and trainings.