Curriculum Vitae
Li Ping Thong 汤丽萍
Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Digital Design)
School of Design, RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia
I am an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Digital Design at RMIT University. I lead the Digital Design discipline within the School of Design, which includes undergraduate and postgraduate programs across Animation, Games and Digital Media.
My work sits at the intersection of digital design education, emerging technologies and socially engaged digital practice. Over the past two decades I have taught, researched and led programs across Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia. My work explores areas including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, interactive media and digital storytelling.
Alongside academic leadership, I lead externally funded research projects and frequently contribute to public conversations about digital design through keynote talks, media commentary and collaborative projects with industry and community partners.
At a Glance
- 20+ years academic and professional experience across Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia
- $935,000+ in externally funded research projects since 2017
- Leadership of the largest discipline in the RMIT School of Design, spanning Animation, Games and Digital Media programs
Associate Dean (Digital Design)
RMIT University – 2024 – Present
I provide strategic leadership for the Digital Design discipline within the School of Design. The discipline encompasses undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Animation, Games and Digital Media; and represents the largest discipline in the School.
My responsibilities include discipline strategy, curriculum architecture, academic staffing, learning and teaching quality and alignment with School, College and University priorities.
Acting Dean – School of Design
RMIT University – Aug 2025 – Nov 2025
During this period I provided executive leadership for the School of Design, ensuring continuity across academic operations, staffing and strategic priorities while representing the School in college-level leadership forums.
Program Manager – Digital Media
RMIT University – 2018 – 2020
As Program Manager I led the academic team within the Digital Media program. I oversaw staff development, curriculum renewal and industry engagement, and introduced new teaching areas including VR, AR, UX design, creative coding and physical computing.
I also led the transition of the program to fully online delivery during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Academic Career – RMIT University
RMIT University
Associate Professor (2025 – Present)
Senior Lecturer (2021 – 2024)
Lecturer (2018 – 2020)
Associate Lecturer (2015 – 2017)
Senior Lecturer – Multimedia Systems
RMIT University Vietnam – 2008 – 2015
At RMIT Vietnam I taught and coordinated courses across the Bachelor of Design (Multimedia Systems), including digital illustration, web design, motion graphics and advanced 3D animation.
Earlier in my career I worked as a lecturer in Malaysia and practiced professionally in digital design and animation.
PhD in Computing (Serious Games)
Serious Games Institute, Coventry University, United Kingdom – 2017
Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and Learning
RMIT University – 2009
Master of Multimedia (E-Learning Technologies)
Multimedia University, Malaysia – 2007
Bachelor of Multimedia (Honours) – Film and Animation
Multimedia University, Malaysia – 2005
My research focuses on digital design and emerging technologies, particularly where they intersect with learning, culture and public engagement.
Key areas include:
Augmented Reality (AR)
Virtual Reality (VR)
User Experience (UX) and Interface Design
Serious Games and Interactive Learning
Digital Storytelling
Digital Environments and Immersive Media
My research often involves interdisciplinary collaboration with fellow researchers across multiple fields, including transport safety, education, cultural heritage and the GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums), as well as sustainability initiatives addressing food waste.
Within these collaborations, I contribute digital design methods and expertise in immersive technologies, particularly virtual and augmented reality, interactive media and user experience design. These approaches enable new ways of communicating research, designing interventions and engaging communities in complex social and environmental challenges.
Since 2017 I have secured $935,516 in external research funding across projects involving immersive technologies, digital design innovation, industry collaboration and community engagement.
Selected Projects:
Deadly Safe Driving: Virtual Reality Hazard Perception Training for Young First Nations Drivers (2025-2027)
Funder: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
Role: Chief Investigator
Partners: Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Australian Catholic University
The Road to Safer Walking: Improving Hazard Perception in Older Adult Pedestrians (2023-2026)
Funder: Australia Automobile Association
Role: Chief Investigator
Partners: Australian Catholic University
This interdisciplinary project investigates how interactive games can be used to improve hazard perception and decision-making for older pedestrians.
Quick Service Restaurants Sector Action Plan (2023-2025)
Funder: End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre
Role: Lead Chief Investigator
Partner: NSW EPA, Queensland Department of Environment and Science, NRA, ARA
This project contributed to a sector action plan addressing food waste in the quick service restaurant sector.
Community Banashi – Digital Storytelling Project with the Garrthalala Indigenous Community (2021-2023)
Funder: Australia–Japan Foundation Grant (DFAT)
Role: Chief Investigator
Partner: Kochi University
This project supported a culturally grounded digital storytelling collaboration between an Indigenous community in Arnhem Land and Japanese researchers.
Golden Plains Stories – Community History Web Museum (2021-2023)
Funder: Public Records Office Victoria
Role: Lead Chief Investigator
Partner: Golden Plains Shire Council
A digital heritage initiative documenting and preserving regional history through an interactive online museum.
Angels of War: Remembering Australian Army Nurses – AR/VR Exhibition (2021-2022)
Funder: Victoria Remembers Grant
Role: Lead Chief Investigator
Partner: Federation Square
An immersive AR/VR exhibition exploring the history of Australian Army nurses during wartime.
Foodbank Meals via YWaste App – User Experience Research (2019-2021)
Funder: Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre
Role: Lead Chief Investigator
Partner: Foodbank Australia, YWaste
This project explored how user experience design can support digital food redistribution systems and reduce food waste.
Additional industry collaborations, mobility grants and internal research funding are listed in the downloadable CV.
Carrigan, A. J., McGuckian, T. B., Wilson, P., Greene, D., Duckworth, J., Thong, L. P., Eldridge, R., Psarakis, M., McKinnon, A. C., Fearnley, P., & Bennett, J. M. (2026).
Predicting safe street-crossing for older adults using a multifactorial model.
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour.
Carrigan, A. J., McGuckian, T. B., Wilson, P., Greene, D., Duckworth, J., Thong, L. P., Eldridge, R., Psarakis, M., McKinnon, A. C., Fearnley, P., & Bennett, J. M. (2025).
The feasibility of a virtual reality hazard perception and gap acceptance task for older adults.
Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries.
Gomes, C., Qi, J., Thong, L. P., Chen, L., & Wang, W. (2024).
Respectful Methods: Understanding Multicultural Migrant Communities in Australia.
Cooper, G., Thong, L. P., & Tang, K. S. (2024).
Transforming science education with virtual reality: An immersive representations model.
Educational Media International.
Moloney, C., Trevena, B., Huggins, A., Thong, L. P., & Button, J. (2023).
Strengthening Victoria’s Connections with Southeast Asia: The Art/s of Exchange.
Park, H., Cooper, G., & Thong, L. P. (2022).
Designing an immersive virtual reality classroom exploring behaviour support strategies.
Additional publications are listed in the downloadable CV.
Completed PhDs:
Hayden Park (2023)
Designing immersive VR classroom environments for teacher behaviour support
Mona Ali (2023)
Virtual reality instructional tools for secondary English language learning
Brendan Harwood (2022)
Volumetric light sculptures and spatial media
Jonathan Marquez (2021)
Card game design for second-language learning
Keynote speaker at the World Design Cities Conference, Shanghai, discussing culture and representation in digital design.
Media commentary across national outlets including ABC News, ABC Pilbara and 3RRR radio on digital design and user experience.
Consulting and advisory engagements with organisations including CrowdDNA and News Corp Australia.
Public engagement activities including design workshops, community storytelling projects and public talks at ACMI and RMIT.
Subjects taught include:
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
User Experience and Interface Design
Interactive Media
Motion Design
3D Animation
Digital Illustration
Web and App Design
I have also led multiple work-integrated learning studios partnering with industry, cultural institutions and community organisations, including projects with Foodbank Australia, Federation Square and Golden Plains Shire Council.