Testimonials

Jonathan Bowen

"While at NYU, I reported to Dave for 5 years. Dave always had a focus on the students and improving their university experience. He was forward-thinking in the adoption of new technologies to help NYU stay ahead of the curve. He was an invaluable resource for the university, bringing VR into the classroom, training faculty, and finding ways to make tech accessible to everyone. As a manager, he was always concerned about employee growth and career development. He guided me in working with a variety of clients, helping me develop project management and communication skills. Dave brought me into the decision-making process, so I felt ownership of the projects I worked on. He is a team player and a principled, creative, and driven person to work with." 

Yuning Gao

"It was a great experience to work with David. I learned a lot about virtual reality (VR) from him, also had opportunity to explore many VR applications. He has a very patient training style that allows me to freely select the tasks, and provided many resources to improve my work experience. Overall I had a great time work with David and really appreciate the everything I learned from him."

Brenda Talbot

"As an NYU contractor and employee, I reported to Dave from July 2017 through May 2021. I found Dave to be an excellent manager, and a real pleasure to work for. He was very focused on making his team feel valued and appreciated, and I always felt that he was looking out for our well-being and professional success. His own high standards, vision and integrity inspired us to do our best work. He promoted teamwork and autonomy by involving us as much as possible in the group’s decision-making and direction. Dave would be a great asset to any organization looking to hire him."

Tunan Guo

"Dave was my supervisor during my internship in NYU-IT, teaching and learning with technology department. He did a great job introducing me to the team and getting me involved in different projects. I especially appreciated that he was willing to give me the space to think wildly and came up with different ideas. He was a great team leader who not only knew how to manage different projects, but also knew how to keep the team engaged and organized. His enthusiasm in VR affected me to start learning more about this field. And besides work, he also gave me good advice on career and job hunting. Overall, it was a very pleasant and fulfilled three months for me and I was lucky to have a supervisor like Dave."

Mark Griffin

"In the past 1.5 years working alongside his leadership as Team Lead of the Interactive Development department of NYU Information Technology, Dave Lasala has exemplified an unparalleled commitment to excellence as well as his dedication to see initiatives reach beyond expectation. In addition, I have noticed Dave has an exeptional ability to manage many personality types, thus allowing for each individual’s strengths to become elevated within their professional concentration. In a departmental setting, Dave has never stifled collaborative thinking, in fact, Dave was instrumental in offering individual ownership in multiple project decisions and developments. I have thoughtfully employed Dave’s courteous behavior and professionalism into my daily routine. I’ve had the opportunity to know Dave for over 5 years and I genuinely look forward to the challenge of creating more experiential, immersive media based projects with him in the foreseeable future."

Chiao-Yin Change

"I had the pleasure of having Dave as my supervisor during my internship at NYU TLT. Dave is an excellent leader that values the thoughts and growth of his team members. When assigning me new tasks, he always provides me with great information about the projects and the technologies we use. Then, he would empower me with the autonomy to think wildly and encourage me to test out different ideas while giving me informative feedback to help improve my skill sets that align with the current trends. Besides his support for my independent work, he would engage me in different projects and teams to provide me with the opportunity to learn about industrial knowledge from other team members and learn about how my skill sets would fit in real-world projects. Overall, this internship was a rewarding experience for my career growth, and Dave is the best supervisor I could ever ask for."

Paula Torres

"Dave deeply cares about the services he provides and the experiences he and his team create for users. He's thorough and considerate, empathetic, and driven, all the qualities you would want from a leader. And he just really loves XR and is enthusiastic to share that passion with the community and his colleagues. Dave centers his efforts around the user experience and still ensures he aligns with clients' needs. "

Hugh Mackey

"I had the pleasure of working with Dave at NYU, where he was a fantastic collaborator. He always showed the utmost respect for his co-workers and direct reports. He's detailed and thorough while still retaining a really creative vision, and I was always impressed by the projects he and his team were able to push out with limited resources and a demanding schedule. I sincerely hope I'll have a chance to work with him again."

Chloe tran

"I had the pleasure of working under Dave, an Operations Assistant for the Interactive Development team at NYU IT. Dave is a fantastic manager who is very instructional and informative. Dave was always available to discuss different workflows and projects, as well as to explain new concepts and initiate new projects. Dave was also a great communicator who prioritized clear and frequent communication with the team members."

Kelly Xie

"I had the pleasure of working under Dave during my time at NYU. As team lead of the NYU TLT Interactive Development Team, he is an excellent manager, efficient at delegating work and juggling multiple concurrent projects. I was particularly impressed by his ability to communicate with clients, demonstrating his candor and adaptability. I learned a great deal about developments in the VR space under his guidance. His commitment to advocating for education & emerging tech is evident in his everyday work. As a supervisor, Dave earns my highest recommendation."

Tisa S. Young

"Dave was my supervisor during my tenure at NYU IT’s Learning with Technology team as a Technical Research Assistant. From my first days in the role all the way until the end, Dave was there to help me with any questions I’ve had both on the job and well as about my overall professional development. He pushed me to go above and beyond in the research I was doing and he helped me learn something new about what I was doing everyday! "

Jiayan (Maggie) Li

"I had the pleasure of Dave being my supervisor when I was working at Interactive Development Team of NYU IT. I was always in awe of Dave's ability to lead and accomplish multiple projects at the same time. He is not only a leader who gets people on board with ideas, but also an approachable supervisor who values your thoughts and listens to your problems with help offered."

Margaret Day

"Dave Lasala was my supervisor and colleague at NYU IT, in what is currently the Teaching & Learning with Technology department, for around 3 years. It was a great pleasure working with Dave. I found his creativity and willingness to push forward new ideas inspiring, and I deeply appreciated his frankness and humor during challenging times. He was a patient manager and mindful and supportive of his staff’s needs and growth. I look forward to following his career!"

Matt Stevens

"Dave and I collaborated together last year on a video game called Capital Caveman. It was an extremely rewarding experience. Dave combines a strong work ethic with creativity, enthusiasm and a willingness to listen to other points of view. I feel lucky to include Dave in my list of colleagues and recommend him without reservation."

Toby Lee, Associate Professor; Associate Chair; Director, Culture & Media Certificate Program, NYU Tisch

“Working with the iTLAB has been nothing short of a dream collaboration. I initially asked them to consult on a creative project with somewhat complicated parameters, and without a clear sense of how to get where I was aiming. David and Andrew immediately understood my project on multiple levels, and went above and beyond my expectations in designing and executing — in record time — a custom VR environment, as well as facilitating a film shoot that is key to the completion of my project. They were responsive and professional, meticulous and creative, and their work demonstrated the depth and breadth of their expertise, as well as their grasp of academic work. Quite simply, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The iTLAB has truly been invaluable to my work as a faculty member at NYU.”

Sean Fader, Assistant Professor, Representation in the Arts Cluster, NYU Tisch

“I have now visited the lab 6-7 times for both teaching and my own practice. We discussed virtual shows for the department and my own AR project. Andrew and I have met many times, and he has even helped me build out a prototype of a piece I am working on so that I could really understand the capabilities of AR spaces and what they might look like. My interactions with the lab have been invaluable!”

Anna Venetsanos. Clinical Associate Professor. A.S. Onassis Program in Hellenic Studies, NYU College of Arts and Science.

“From day one, they were incredibly supportive—meeting with me, introducing tools, and helping integrate VR into the Modern Greek curriculum. They trained both me and my students, always tailoring sessions to align with language goals and class needs. David thoughtfully structured each session and welcomed input on topics for assessment. A standout moment was Andrew’s development of a Modern Greek app featuring interactive avatars—an impressive innovation, especially for a less commonly taught language. I was especially struck by their flexibility in adapting to a mixed-level class. Students consistently express excitement about practicing in the lab. I’m deeply grateful for their dedication and expertise. The iTLAB has been a vital resource, and I look forward to continuing our collaboration.”

Nina S. Parikh, Clinical Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, NYU School of Global Public Health.

“David and Andrew were amazing at explaining the possibility of using the virtual reality (VR) technology that I am interested in for a research study. They helped to think through logistics, the capabilities and needs for the population, and how to budget for the grant proposal. Moreover, when I had follow-up questions, they were incredibly responsive and provided the details I needed to address the gaps in the proposal. Very knowledgeable about the topical area and offered immediate and tangible solutions.”

Linda Sormin, Associate Professor of Studio Art, NYU Steinhardt

“David and his team advanced our understanding and ability to design and participate in virtual ‘hands-on’ 3D drawing, art installation, and inclusive, critical discussions, throughout the challenges of the pandemic. We were able to order VR headsets and learned to ‘install,’ view, transform, and critique artwork in interactive teaching and learning environments designed by the iTLAB team.”

Jack Caravanos, Clinical Professor of Environmental Public Health Sciences in the Department of Global and Environmental Health, NYU School of Global Public Health

“The VR educational modules I produced were previewed and polished by iTLAB, and I have incorporated them into my graduate course in Global Environmental Health at GPH. Students can now visit Ghana virtually and safely explore polluted places.”