Biography
Dr. Rikakis is a transdisciplinary researcher, educator, and administrator. He serves as full professor of the USC Iovine and Young Academy (IYA) for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation. He served as Dean of the Academy from 2021 to 2025. He joined IYA from Virginia Tech, where he was professor of Bioengineering and founding director of the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program (CDP). He has served as provost at Virginia Tech, vice provost at Carnegie Mellon University, school founding director at Arizona State University, and Center associate director at Columbia University. He initiated ongoing transdisciplinary education and research initiatives in all his administrative positions. He has led gift efforts from philanthropy and industry totaling more than $80,000,000. He has been PI or co-PI in research grants from NSF, NIH, NEA and industry totaling over $17,000,000. He has authored peer reviewed publications spanning computing, engineering, health, education, design and the arts. He has composed original music compositions performed internationally.
Selected Publications
Talks
“The Techniques of Sociotechnical Creativity”, This is a presentation on the Iovine Young Academy (IYA) Challenge Based Reflective Learning Framework (CBRL). Presentation was given at the 2024 Erich Bloch Materials Design and Innovation Symposium at the University of Buffalo.
Books
Rikakis, T., Arnold, A., Keyel, J. et al. (2020). Adaptive Life Long Learning for an Inclusive Knowledge Economy. Virginia Tech Publications in partnership with the International Academic Forum and the Future Talent Council; https://doi.org/10.21061/adaptive-learning-report
Papers
- T. Ahmed, T. Rikakis, A. Kelliher and S. L. Wolf, (2024), "A Hierarchical Bayesian Model for Cyber-Human Assessment of Movement in Upper Extremity Stroke Rehabilitation," IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, DOI: 10.1109/TNSRE.2024.3450008
- Sung, S., Thomas, D. & Rikakis, T., “Enacting Transdisciplinary Values for a Postdigital World: The Challenge-Based Reflective Learning (CBRL) Framework”. Postdigit Sci Educ (2024). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42438-024-00485-1
- Sarker, A.; Emenonye, D.-R.; Kelliher, A.; Rikakis, T.; Buehrer, R.M.; Asbeck, A.T., “Capturing Upper Body Kinematics and Localization with Low-Cost Sensors for Rehabilitation Applications”, Sensors 2022, 22, 2300. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22062300
- Ahmed, Tamim; Thopalli, Kowshik; Rikakis, Thanassis; Turaga, Pavan; Kelliher, Aisling; Huang, Jia-Bin; Wolf Steven L., “Automated Movement Assessment in Stroke Rehabilitation”, Frontiers in Neurology, Vol 12, 202, DOI=10.3389/fneur.2021.720650
- Y. Han, A. Varadarajan, T. Kim, G. Zheng, K. Kitani, A. Kelliher, T. Rikakis, and Y-L Park. “Smart Skin: Vision-Based Soft Pressure Sensing System for In-Home Hand Rehabilitation”, Soft Robotics, Vol 9, no 3, p 473-485, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2020.0083
- Arnold, Amy J., Jared Keyel, Alkan Soysal, Michael Kretser, Shahabedin Sagheb and Thanassis Rikakis. “Toward an Integrative Professional and Personal Competency-Based Learning Model for Inclusive Workforce Development”, International Multi-Conference on Society, Cybernetics and Informatics (IMSCI 2021), https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:266050743
- A. Kelliher, S. Zilevu, T. Rikakis, T. Ahmed, Y. Troung, S. Wolf. (2020). “Towards standardized processes for physical therapists to quantify patient rehabilitation”, proceedings of ACM SIGCHI 2020 (CHI’20), Hawaii, USA, April 25 – 30, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376706
Musical Compositions
Krisis, for flute, bassoon, cello and trombone [MP3]
For a comprehensive list of Professor Rikakis’ research, compositions and teaching, please visit his website.