Brazilian Fulbright Scholar Bibiana Mayer Steckel wears a VR headset and a haptic vest, a wearable device that provides tactile feedback (vibrations and sensations) to the torso, making VR experiences feel more immersive.
Brazilian Fulbright Scholar collaborating with Behrend Virtual/Augmented Reality Lab
Bibiana Mayer Steckel’s brother has always been her inspiration. Two years her senior, he lives with cerebral palsy and the mobility challenges it presents. Growing up together in Brazil, they found common ground in video games.
“When we were kids, video games were a way that we could connect and play together,” Steckel said. “In video games, we could run, jump, and kick—things that we couldn’t do in real life.”
That childhood connection planted seeds that would eventually grow into Steckel’s career as an occupational therapist specializing in treating children with autism, cerebral palsy, and sensory integration disorders. Now, as one of just twenty-five Brazilians selected for a Fulbright Scholar experience this year, she’s spending an academic year at Penn State Behrend, developing virtual reality tools that can transform how young patients receive therapy.
Bridging the Geographical Gap
Steckel runs a sensory integration clinic in Porto Alegre, a large city in southern Brazil. The clinic is well-equipped and serves many families, but she recognized a fundamental problem: Her patients often came from small cities and towns where such specialized resources didn’t exist. How could she bridge that geographical gap?
The answer, she realized, might lie in the same technology that once connected her with her brother—virtual worlds where physical limitations matter less.
“Why not use it in a remote way?” she said.
Choosing Behrend
When evaluating U.S. universities for her Fulbright year, Steckel considered several prestigious institutions. She chose Behrend for a few reasons: the expertise of Dr. Chris Shelton, associate professor of clinical psychology and director of the Virtual/Augmented Reality Lab; his genuine enthusiasm for international collaboration; and the VAR Lab’s resources.
“I come from a small lab in a big city, and Behrend was a big lab in a small city,” she said.
She was impressed by the VAR Lab’s resources, equipment, and engaged student researchers—exactly what she needed to develop more sophisticated VR environments for her work back home. Her goal is to create virtual spaces that replicate the sensory integration clinic experience, making therapy more accessible to families who can’t travel to major cities in Brazil.
Meeting Patients Where They Are
There’s another crucial element: motivation. Children with autism often struggle to engage with traditional therapy, but VR offers something different. Steckel can design environments around a child’s specific interests and hyperfixations.
“The most common are animals, planets, and dinosaurs,” she said. “Using those in a VR environment encourages children to participate in therapeutic exercises.”
The approach isn’t about replacing human therapists. It’s about creating controlled, customizable spaces where therapist and child can meet—spaces that might be less overwhelming and more exciting than traditional clinical settings, especially when tailored to each child’s needs.
Solving the Sensory Puzzle
One might assume children with autism would resist wearing VR headsets, given their frequent sensitivity to textures and touch. Steckel has found the opposite to be true.
“There is a big difference between light and deep touch,” she said. “Deep touch is more accepted.” A weighted VR headset provides that deeper sensory input, making it more tolerable than an itchy sweater or gloves.
She recalls one patient who basically wouldn’t wear clothes due to light touch sensitivity but readily donned a VR headset to virtually visit a zoo. “It was the way we bonded, and then I was able to work with him,” she said.
EEG and 3D Printing
At Behrend, Steckel is working with Shelton and Dr. Erica Edwards, assistant teaching professor of psychology, using EEG technology to study which parts of the brain activate during VR simulations. The research could reveal why VR proves so effective for motivation and engagement.
The exchange benefits everyone involved. Steckel gains access to advanced equipment and expertise that are not available in Brazil, developing tools she’ll use to help her patients back home. Undergraduate and graduate students in the VAR Lab work alongside an international researcher. And the partnership between Steckel’s NERV Lab (Neuroscience and Virtual Reality Laboratory) in Brazil and Behrend’s VAR Lab creates lasting institutional connections.
Warm Welcome in a Cold Climate
The Fulbright experience is Steckel’s second stretch of academic study in the U.S. As an undergraduate, she visited New York, where she was part of a cohort. She worried about coming alone this time, but those fears vanished after her arrival in August.
“I immediately felt welcome,” she said. “In Brazil it’s warm, but some people can be really cold. Here, it’s cold outside, but all the people that I have metare very warm and kind to me.”
Steckel On Life in Erie
On The Cold: “I’m often in the lab with my snow jacket on. I’m warm-blooded! I do live in the coldest part of Brazil, but that’s 32 degrees Fahrenheit at worst. Erie is much more equipped to deal with cold, though. Everyone can handle it here!”
First Snow Experience: “I woke up after a snowfall to find my car covered and had no idea what to do about it. What do I do with this? My friend at the VAR Lab had to tell me to brush the snow off and turn the heater on to melt it on the windshield.”
Biggest Surprise: “I’m so impressed by Walmart. I had no idea they were all the same and so big. I was walking around and was like, I can buy a BOAT here? This is crazy. There are so many options and it’s cheap. I love Walmart and Five Below because there are so many kids’ toys and things I can get for my clients for cheap.”
On Erie: “I really like Erie. It’s a small city, but it has everything I need.”