Daniel Pimentel is an Associate Professor of Immersive Media Psychology and Director of the University of Oregon’s Reality Lab. His research focuses on the prosocial and pro-environmental uses and effects of augmented and virtual reality technology. His award-winning immersive storytelling projects have been supported by organizations such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Sea Turtle Conservancy, Snapchat, Meta, Unity 3D, and more.

Research testing the effects of his experiences have also been published in peer-reviewed academic journals such as Nature Scientific Reports, the Journal of Nature Conservation, and New Media & Society, among others. He is currently a Visiting Professor at OceanX, an official Specs Ambassador, a former Fellow at Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication, and was named the 2025 Nextant Rising Star by the Virtual World Society.