Melinda Cuilty on Building VR Capacity at New Mexico State University
When it comes to expanding immersive learning at scale, few institutions have made strides like New Mexico State University (NMSU)—and at the center of it all is Melinda Cuilty, the university’s Enterprise Instructional Technology Administrator and VR lead.
Melinda’s work bridges logistics, innovation, and access. Over just two semesters, she helped grow NMSU’s VR program from 75 students to nearly 500—each equipped with their own headset.
“We send all of our headsets out to students, so we don’t have an in-person lab. We do a whole shipping process, get the headsets ready, meet students via Zoom, and then ship them back when the class is over.”
This unique one-to-one distribution model ensures that immersive education isn’t limited to those on campus. Instead, it extends across New Mexico—and beyond.
Say yes and push through that uncomfortableness, because... the rewards have been great and I haven’t had any downsides with it!
Scaling Immersive Learning Across Disciplines
NMSU’s use of virtual reality is as diverse as its student body. What began with a handful of professors experimenting in criminal justice courses has grown into a robust, interdisciplinary initiative.
“It really started off with a couple of criminal justice professors. One of them just won the Innovative Teacher of the Year Award for using a mock crime scene on campus… Now we have courses using immersion in Spanish, hotel management, engineering, and more.”
Departments across the university are leveraging VR to develop critical thinking, communication, and soft skills. Through platforms like Zoe, Engage, VictoryXR, and BodySwaps, NMSU faculty are creating experiences that prepare students for real-world application.
Melinda emphasizes that the goal isn’t just to adopt immersive tools—it’s to empower students to become creators themselves.
“Our next big goal is to get students creating and getting them that hands-on experience in the whole process.”
From Basketball Courts to Learning Labs
During her time in the Zoe Creator Program, Melinda designed a simple but effective prototype that mirrors her broader philosophy: start with accessibility, then expand.
“My project focused on basic tasks—just having students experience VR, move around, and use the controllers. We like to ease them into it so they feel confident and excited when class starts.”
To make the introduction engaging, she built an NMSU-branded basketball experience, where students could walk, pick up objects, and shoot hoops. It’s playful, but purposeful; teaching the foundational movements that make VR learning comfortable and intuitive. Her project
- Introduced students to headset navigation
- Reinforced spatial awareness and hand-tracking
- Built familiarity before entering discipline-specific simulations
Her next step? Expanding the prototype into a more interactive, game-like experience that rewards exploration and experimentation.
The Power of Building In-House
For Melinda, developing VR content internally gives her team the freedom to design experiences that reflect NMSU’s identity and academic strengths.
“We realized we wanted to showcase some of our uniqueness. Starting to create our own assets gives our students a hands-on experience. It’s more work, but having that control is huge.”
Creating from scratch comes with challenges, like mastering 3D scanning or navigating Unity, but Melinda believes those hurdles are essential to true innovation.
“We’re still learning as we go. The downside is we’re not as fast as the companies that can make it for you. But the control and involvement we get in return make it worth it.”
I’m not the most tech-savvy person. But building was a whole new experience for me, and I just decided to try. I’m going to fail sometimes, and that’s okay.
Advice for Educators: “Just Say Yes”
Melinda readily admits she didn’t come from a game design or programming background. Yet that didn’t stop her from taking on immersive learning as her passion project.
After being invited to a Meta conference highlighting top innovators in VR education, Melinda’s perspective shifted: intimidation became inspiration.
“It’s intimidating for everybody. But as educators, we tell students to do things that make them uncomfortable—that’s where we grow the most. This has reminded me what it feels like to be a learner again.”
Her advice for others considering VR in their classrooms: Start small, say yes, and trust that you’ll learn by doing.
Looking Ahead
As NMSU continues to expand its immersive ecosystem, Melinda’s work represents the intersection of logistics, innovation, and empathy. By combining scalable infrastructure with creative vision, she’s helping redefine what it means to make education immersive and accessible to every student.
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