University of North Texas 
Dr. Sharad Sharma has been named the new Associate Dean of Research in the College of Information. Dr. Sharma is a Professor in The Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science and his research interests include data visualization, virtual reality, augmented reality, extreme reality, software engineering, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, and gaming. He is an expert in modeling and simulating human behavior for emergency response and decision-making, with a focus on multi-agent systems (MAS), multi-user virtual reality (MUVR), and mobile augmented reality applications (MARA). Dr. Sharma also serves as the Director of the Data Visualization and Extreme Reality (DVXR) Lab and the Data Science & Industry Innovation (DSII) Center at UNT.
Dr. Sharma received the College of Information Outstanding Mentor Award in both 2023
and 2024. In 2023, he was also recognized with the College of Information Faculty
Excellence Award for being among the Top 5 Recipients of the Most Awarded Grants. While at Bowie State University, he earned the 2022 Presidential Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Research and Grants. Additionally, he was honored
with the 2018 University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship.
Dr. Sharma has secured multiple research grants from various funding agencies, including the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Army Research Laboratory (ARL), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). In 2024, he held six active NSF grants.
As Associate Dean of Research, Dr. Sharma envisions a strategic, forward-thinking approach focused on advancing research, fostering innovation, and enriching the academic environment. His goals include promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, securing additional research funding, strengthening global research networks, and enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship.