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After 23 years of academic and personal growth, Dr. Ramin Shadmehr will cross the convocation stage this June at SFU, celebrating not just a PhD but a lifelong commitment to reinvention, resilience, and learning.

It's the third time Dr. Shadmehr will don SFU's graduation regalia. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Arts and Technology and later a master's in education, he now holds a PhD in Educational Technology and Learning Design (ETLD). But his connection to SFU is about much more than degrees. It's about promises fulfilled, communities built, and a lifelong passion for learning.

"I initially came to Canada not to study but to work in the gaming industry," Dr. Shadmehr recalls. "I thought I needed a computer science degree to get into Electronic Arts." Yet soon after arriving, he pivoted into Interactive Arts, becoming part of one of the program's earliest cohorts. His early days were a delicate balancing act: taking classes at SFU Surrey while working as a cook at SFU Burnaby, commuting each day.

What kept him going during those years of long hours and tight schedules? "I didn't want to go back home," Dr. Shadmehr said. "I made a move. I had a goal. Failing was not an option, only learning."

As an international student, he didn't try to recreate his past life. Instead, he embraced his new environment. He became president of the international student group, built friendships across cultures, and found a sense of belonging through openness and curiosity. His work and social life at SFU laid the foundation for the professional networks and personal relationships he still maintains today, including with his former classmate and now longtime business partner, who is also his son鈥檚 godfather鈥揳 friendship that began during his undergraduate years. 

Despite a flourishing career in game design, Dr. Shadmehr's path took another unexpected turn when he was invited to teach at BCIT in 2010. "I fell in love with becoming an educator," he says of that first teaching role. "Combining my technical background with educational passion, I realized I could contribute to the education system in a meaningful way."

This newfound passion led him to SFU's Faculty of Education, first as a master鈥檚 student and later PhD. His focused on utilizing virtual reality to help autistic job seekers practice and refine their interview skills. Drawing on his years of experience working with neurodivergent students, he saw an opportunity to close a critical gap. "These students I鈥檝e worked with are so talented, but the job interview process is a major barrier," he explains. His project, built using Unreal Engine, has already drawn the attention of organizations such as the and , and Dr. Shadmehr is determined to continue developing the platform.

Throughout his doctoral journey, Dr. Shadmehr credits his supervisor, Dr. Robert Williamson, and his instructors, including Drs. Kevin O'Neill and Rebecca Cox, along with committee members including Drs. Yumiko Murai, and David Kaufman, provided the rigorous mentorship and support that helped transform him into the researcher he is today. "I wasn't a great student in the beginning. Even my parents weren't sure if I'd get past high school," he laughs. "But the Faculty saw something in me. They believed in me." 

This June, Dr. Shadmehr takes the stage as the Faculty of Education's selected student speaker, a role he was nominated for by Dr. Williamson and one that fulfills a promise he made to SFU President Joy Johnson. "At an alumni event in Seattle, she asked me to promise her I'd graduate before she retires," Dr. Shadmehr says, smiling. "I'm proud to be keeping that promise."

His speech, although limited to five minutes, is an opportunity to share his story and express gratitude to those who supported him along the way over the past twenty-two years. "I hope my peers realize that life doesn't have to be exactly what you planned,鈥� shares Dr. Shadmehr. 鈥淚t should be what makes you feel content and successful."

Now the Dean of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts at Capilano University , and, as it turns out, navigating neurodivergent journey like his own son, Dr. Shadmehr continues to push forward. He hopes to conduct postdoctoral research and further expand his VR project, envisioning a future filled with innovation, learning, and contributions.

And, true to form, he hints that this may not be his last academic milestone at SFU. "I guess," he laughs, "I'm just not done yet."