Tyler Bell, Ph.D., an assistant professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Iowa, has a story that resonates with many first-generation college students. Growing up in Marshalltown, Iowa, Dr. Bell was always a Hawkeye fan and had a keen interest in computers and technology. Despite his mother’s suggestion to start at a community college, Dr. Bell double-enrolled in high school and completed his Associate of Arts degree while graduating high school. He then went on to attend Iowa State University.

Earning his B.S. in Computer Science at Iowa State, Dr. Bell became the first in his immediate family to complete a college degree, graduating at the age of 20. Unsure of his career path, he stayed at Iowa State to pursue a master’s degree in Human Computer Interaction and discovered his passion for research due to encouragement from his mentor. While completing his master’s degree program, his mentor took a new position at Purdue University. Ultimately, Dr. Bell decided to continue his research with his mentor at Purdue University, where he completed his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Reflecting on his career trajectory, Dr. Bell said, “I just wanted to make cool things that help people!” Despite considering opportunities on the coasts with tech giants like Amazon and Google, Dr. Bell chose to stay in the Midwest to be closer to family. He accepted a position at the University of Iowa in 2018. 

Dr. Bell’s research bridges the virtual and real world, focusing on finding effective applications of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality (VR), and 3D imaging. Currently, Dr. Bell and the students in his lab, including ISA MARC Fellow, Lee Flores, are using AI-enhanced instructional simulations to teach Functional Communication Training (FCT) to staff that support individuals with disabilities. AI-enhanced VR and text-based simulations are being used with VR, offering a more immersive, hands-on experience, while text-based simulations are easier to deploy but may not be as engaging.  

Dr. Bell is also leading coursework development for the Iowa Initiative for Artificial Intelligence, which is offering introductory as well as advanced short courses in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML). These short courses can be taken individually, or their sequences can lead to obtaining HawkAI Certificates of Proficiency in AI/ML. The educational short courses will help satisfy diverse AI-education needs of Iowa’s faculty, research staff, and student-researchers. When asked what he envisions for the future, Dr. Bell sees AI seamlessly integrating into daily life at a much larger scale. For example, AI can now run a “smart home,” but in the future it may run entire cities. 

As an ISA mentor and University of Iowa assistant professor, Dr. Bell sees his role as helping students accelerate their academic and career growth by offering advice and support to reach their goals. Since he typically has a variety of research projects going on at the same time, he attempts to assign students to a project that supports their desired trajectory. Dr. Bell emphasized the importance of science communication and being able to communicate your research effectively to “close the gap between technology and the human.” He believes that teaching is the core of what he is doing.

For first-generation students, Dr. Bell offers this advice: “It can be liberating and exciting because there is no path to follow. You can make your own path with a little initiative. The first step is to talk to professors, talk to peers, go to office hours. Not only are you getting practical advice, you are also developing relationships. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!” After that, he says, figure out the mechanics—the steps to take to make it happen, like how to apply to grad school and how to network to find new opportunities. 

Outside of his professional life, Dr. Bell enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children (ages 7 and 4), playing pickleball, and indulging in video games. “My mom said I couldn’t stay in the basement and play video games forever,” Dr. Bell laughed. “Now I have my own basement and can play video games there as much as I want.”

In closing, Dr. Bell says, “I like what I do and would still do it even if I didn’t get paid! Playing around with projects or writing scripts on your computer at 3:00 in the morning could find its way into a lecture. Nothing is wasted. It’s all about playing around and exploring.”