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Faculty

Man in black blazer seated before a steel wall

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, and Courtesy Professor of Bioengineering at Viterbi School of Engineering. He leads the USC Human Technology Interaction Research Lab. 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

Papers

  • Ahmed, T., Rikakis,T., Kelliher, A., Khan, M., and Guo, Z., (2026), xAARA: Explainable and Augmented Automated Rehabilitation Assessment}, ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, https://doi.org/10.1145/3848511
  • Ahmed T and Rikakis T (2026) A methodology for integrating AI into embodied human intelligence for the performance of complex tasks. Front. Artif. Intell. 9:1715898. DOI: 10.3389/frai.2026.1715898
  • 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://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-024-00485-1

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

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.

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.