WHO IS THE VR MENTOR?

The VR Mentor is Dr. Toni Pirtle, Ed.D.  Her experiences in Higher Education have always aligned with her passion to help others learn, to lead with dignity and respect, and to try all things tech along the way! 

HER MISSION

She started her career hopeful that one day, she would be able to use her own “tri-corder”, store data on devices that may be viewed much like a “Princess Leia hologram” let our computers generate answers for us, and, ultimately be able to teleport the universe!  And here we are, that is why she started The VR Mentor in 2021!   

HER BACKGROUND

With 30 years of experiences in education, her path led her from teaching in England, to Illinois, and ultimately, to California.  For the past twenty two years, Dr. Pirtle has served as a Professor at Merced College as a Business & Social Media Professor, as well as a Career Technical Education Dean.

JUST THIS PAST YEAR….

The 2022-2023 academic year has been one to remember for Dr. Toni Pirtle. As a professor and researcher, she has achieved great success and made significant contributions to her field. Throughout the year, Dr. Pirtle has attended several global metaverse conferences and Virtual Reality trainings and has received numerous accolades for bringing virtual reality to educators.  This past year, she has worked with several global companies and presented her findings at conferences including CCCAOE, CAEP, and the Community College Presidents Institute.  She has also been a guest speaker on Virtual Reality at the Bakersfield Community College District.  This semester, following Speaking at the Global VR in Education Forum, with the presentation “Bringing VR to the Community College Classroom, Dr. Pirtle was invited, and gladly accepted an invitation to join the VR/AR Association Education Committee.  In addition to her research, Dr. Pirtle has also excelled in the classroom, bringing several headset opportunities to her face-to-face Social Media class, and video recorded lessons from inside metaverse.  Her students consistently give her praise for her engaging teaching style and her ability to make the complex concepts of working in the virtual arena understandable. Dr. Pirtle has also taken on leadership roles in the community at large, by serving on the Board of Directors of the California Community College Association as Women’s Issues Director (North).