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Tarishi Verma to lead New England’s first VR teaching platform
Verma will also lead faculty training and curriculum development for the new program.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 31, Mar 2026
- 13:01 EDT
- 20
Tarishi Verma / albertus.edu
Connecticut-based Albertus Magnus College appointed Indian-origin professor and former journalist Tarishi Verma as the inaugural director of the Carol G. Ditkoff ’67 Immersive Learning Collaboratory.
Backed by a $3 million gift from alumna Carol Ditkoff and her husband, James, the new initiative will bring immersive virtual reality learning to the college through the rollout of Dreamscape Learn.
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The rollout will make Albertus Magnus the first college or university in New England to implement an immersive virtual reality pedagogy platform for students.
According to a news release, Verma will oversee the rollout and expansion of Dreamscape Learnas well as programming tied to the collaboratory, including a VR classroom, a VR free roam pod and the college’s esports program.
Dreamscape Learn, developed through a collaboration between Dreamscape Immersive and Arizona State University, combines cinematic storytelling with experiential learning and educational science to create interactive academic environments.
Verma, an associate professor of communication at Albertus Magnus College since August 2021, will also lead faculty training and curriculum development as the college expands the use of immersive learning across disciplines.
“Dreamscape Learn stands out in its ability to create immersive and imaginative worlds that allow for an adventurous yet educational learning experience,” Verma said in a statement released by the college.
“It’s a pioneering tool for faculty to creatively redirect textbook concepts into a pedagogic feat, inspiring students’ intellectual curiosity and deeper learning, while continuing to support outcome-oriented critical thinking and academic achievement,” she added.
Before joining Albertus, Verma was a graduate assistant at Bowling Green State University from 2017 to 2021. Earlier in her career, she worked as a sub-editor at The Indian Express and interned at HT Media in New Delhi. She also worked as an assistant director on a film project at Kamala Nehru College.
Albertus Magnus College vice president for Academic Affairs Dr. Rosa E. Rivera-Hainaj said Verma’s academic and professional background made her well-suited to lead the project.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Verma lead this transformative initiative,” Rivera-Hainaj said. “Her distinguished background as a faculty member and scholar in media studies provides a deep pedagogical foundation for this transition.”
Rivera-Hainaj added that Verma’s emphasis on empathy-driven and skills-based teaching would help prepare students for a changing workforce as the college expands its experiential education offerings.
Verma earned her doctorate in communication and media studies from Bowling Green State University. She holds a master’s degree in media and cultural studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
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