Beyond Emotion Recognition: Expressions as Social Action

Wednesday October 14 | 12p-1p | 1400 18th Ave S A2009

Emotion science increasingly agrees that expressions do not simply reveal internal states. Their meaning is contextual, directed at others, and co-constructed in interaction. Yet most computational approaches to “emotion recognition” still assume the opposite: that expressions encode latent states that can be inferred from morphology or timing alone. 

In his talk, Dr. Jonathan Gratch argues that the problem is not just methodological but conceptual. While contemporary theories emphasize context and co-construction, they offer little guidance on how to formalize these ideas computationally. What, precisely, counts as context? How do social goals, interactional dynamics, and cultural conventions shape what an expression means?

 

Drawing on affective computing and social interaction, Gratch argues for shifting from emotion recognition to computational models of communicative behavior. He'll outline a research agenda for modeling these dynamics through sequential, interactive systems that capture contextual structure, adaptation, and the co-construction of meaning over time. 

Join us Wednesday to learn more. Pizza and drinks provided. 

2 Funding Opportunity Deadlines Approaching

AI Tools Competition: The seventh cycle of the 2027 Tools Competition will support research-informed tools and public infrastructure that help learners track progress and identify next steps; strengthen educator practice; make learning more engaging, learner-driven, and connected to real-world contexts; support educational and career transitions; advance shared resources for trustworthy innovation; and embed safety, privacy, and responsible use into design and implementation.

 

Humanity AI: Humanity AI will support community-led efforts in three issue areas central to its work. By community-led, Humanity AI means that those most affected by technological changes define the goals, shape the approach, and drive the work. Within these issue areas, Humanity AI aims to fund projects in several different areas including education. Shaping AI around the best interests of students, educators, and communities to develop and expand knowledge, strengthen how people learn, and safeguard against risks to humans. They are particularly interested in work led by students, educators, and the organizations who represent them.

Bubble Pop: From Peripersonal Space Research to Adaptive Sensory Learning

2026 LIVE Ignite Grant Recipient

LIVE has awarded an Ignite Grant to support an immersive research project led by Hari Srinivasan, a PhD candidate in neuroscience at Vanderbilt. 

 

Srinivasan’s research focuses on peripersonal space, the area immediately surrounding the body, and how people perceive, integrate, and respond to multisensory information within it. 

His work examines these processes in people with autism, with the long-term goal of informing more adaptable sensory and learning environments. Over the award period, LIVE Research Engineer Albert Na will collaborate with Srinivasan on the project. This work lays a foundation for future research into how immersive technologies can support more responsive and adaptable learning environments.

LIVE Student Research Experience

Call for Projects

LIVE is working to connect more students with research across our projects and labs.

 

We are compiling current opportunities to share through a research brochure, at the Immersion Vanderbilt Research Fair, and broader student outreach.  

If you are interested in involving one or more students in your research, reach out to Amy Williamson by October 15, 2026 to get more information on what's needed. 

Oct 21

No Seminar

Enjoy Fall Break!

Oct 28

From Guardrails to Transformation: Cross-Industry Lessons on the Human Side of AI Adoption 

Ines Voellinger, IV.ai Solutions

Nov 4

Toward Process-Based Measures of Workload, Effort, and Scaffolding in Education

Conrad Borchers Peabody College | College of Connected Computing

Explore the Fall 2026 LIVE Learning Innovation Seminar Series at the link below

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