Araujo-Junior Selected as Elizabeth V. Stout Dissertation Award Recipient

The award recognizes significant scholarly achievement in a dissertation project.

Lehigh’s College of Education has selected Robson M. Araujo-Junior to receive the Elizabeth V. Stout Award for his dissertation, “Watershed Explorers: Digital Gameful Learning Experience Gameplay Investigated with Immersive Virtual Reality within a Technology-Enhanced Lifelong Learning Ecology.” 

In his nomination, Zilong Pan, an assistant professor in the Teaching, Learning and Technology (TLT) program said, “Junior’s dissertation, makes a strong contribution to the fields of virtual reality (VR) and education research by advancing understanding of how immersive, gameful learning experiences can enhance engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes across diverse platforms, age groups, and educational settings.” 

TLT Professor Al Bodzin served as chair of Araujo-Junior’s dissertation committee. In his recommendation for the award, he pointed out the unique area of research covered in his study. “This is the first study, to my knowledge, that has investigated the implementation of an immersive learning experience across three different educational settings for both headset and desktop VR platforms. In fact, most VR implementation studies in the published research have focused on formal school and university environments.”

Tom Hammond, TLT program director, noted several other unique aspects of Araujo-Junior’s research in his nomination, including Araujo-Junior’s theoretical framework. Hammond explained, “VR research and development is at a breakneck pace to bring products to market and keep up with shifting standards in hardware and delivery; few publications take the time to establish a framework to connect these developments to learning theory.”

In her letter announcing Araujo-Junior as the recipient of the 2025 Elizabeth V. Stout Award, Acting Dean Robin Hojnoski shared, “Your dissertation stands out as a rigorous examination of innovative instruction grounded in clear theoretical learning principles." 

Currently, Araujo-Junior serves as an assistant professor of Learning Technologies at Kutztown University, a role he has held since 2024. Reflecting on his time with Lehigh, he said, “As Lehigh University celebrates its new R1 research institution status, I’m deeply honored to have contributed to this vibrant academic community through my dissertation.” 

The Elizabeth V. Stout Award recognizes significant scholarly achievement in a dissertation project. Endowed by the late Robert Stout, former dean of the graduate school and professor emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering, the Elizabeth V. Stout Award was created in memory of his wife. One graduate from each of Lehigh’s five colleges can receive the dissertation award at the Doctoral Hooding during Commencement each year.