Andrew Maxim: Passionate Researcher in Human-Centered Computing and Virtual Human Interventions
Andrew H. Maxim received his Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing (HCC) from the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the University of Florida in 2026. He holds a Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering from Iowa State University and a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Excelsior College. Before beginning his doctoral studies, Andrew spent more than twenty years in industry across systems and software engineering, infrastructure architecture, cybersecurity, and technical leadership roles, experience that continues to inform his research and interdisciplinary collaborations in health communication and virtual human design.
During his Ph.D., Andrew focused on understanding how vocal characteristics of virtual humans shape user perceptions and influence health-related behavioral intentions, particularly in digital health interventions for underserved communities. His dissertation examined how prosodic features, timbre-based attributes, and voice modality affect perceived voice naturalness and visual realism, and how these perceptual evaluations mediate behavioral outcomes. Across three empirical studies involving more than 1,000 participants in colorectal cancer screening interventions and 370 participants in mental health-focused studies, he used equivalence testing, structural equation modeling, and Bradley-Terry modeling to demonstrate how computer-generated voices can be engineered to support persuasive, culturally grounded health communication. His work advances theoretical understanding of vocalics in virtual human communication and provides practical guidance for selecting and designing voice systems that enhance realism, trust, and behavioral intention.
Andrew’s research philosophy centers on the idea that voice is a primary communicative channel through which virtual humans establish credibility, coherence, and plausibility. His work emphasizes the perceptual evaluation of computer-generated voices – particularly voice naturalness and its downstream influence on perceived realism – as a critical determinant of user engagement and behavioral outcomes. He approaches this research through a human-centered, empirically grounded methodology that integrates communication theory, perceptual psychology, and rigorous experimental design with the practical realities of building and deploying virtual human systems.
Andrew has collaborated extensively with interdisciplinary teams in communication, public health, and medicine to develop virtual human applications that address real-world health challenges. His work has been published in venues such as ACM Transactions on Applied Perception and the ACM International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents, and has been recognized with the Best Paper Award at the 2025 ACM Symposium on Applied Perception. Building on his doctoral work, Andrew plans to continue advancing virtual human communication research in healthcare contexts, with a focus on improving intentions to perform healthier behaviors and expanding the accessibility and effectiveness of digital health interventions.
As an accomplished researcher and speaker, Andrew has given numerous invited talks and presentations on virtual human customization, tailored telehealth interventions, and using virtual technology for culturally appropriate cancer prevention messaging. He has shared his knowledge and expertise at various conferences, symposiums, and meetings, such as the UF Cancer Research Symposium for High School Students, UF Cancer Research Conference for Science Teachers, and NRG Oncology Semiannual Meeting.
In addition to his professional and academic pursuits, Andrew is the founder of Proverbs LLC, a video game publishing company that utilizes novel approaches to open game play to a broader audience. He has also contributed to the discipline through invited talks and presentations and as a reviewer for Frontiers in Virtual Reality, as well as IEEEVR and ISMAR conferences.
Feel free to connect with Andrew to learn more about his research, discuss potential collaborations, or simply chat about the exciting world of virtual human interventions and Human-Centered Computing.