Fostering empathy through VR to combat climate change
Monique Santoso is taking a unique approach to combating climate change: fostering empathy.
What sparked your passion for environmental justice?
In middle school, when I learned about rising ocean temperatures and the phenomenon of coral bleaching, it felt like a personal issue. As I read about climate change in my textbook, I was highly aware of how it affected me and people in my community. What stood out most was the disconnect between those directly affected and their understanding of the crisis. Many saw coral reefs eroding before their eyes; yet media coverage often felt abstract, masking the urgency of the problem. That realization motivated me to help bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public awareness.
So, today, I conduct virtual reality (VR) research and integrate large language models in VR to understand how people can viscerally experience climate change impacts. My hope is to ignite the sense of urgency that I felt when I learned about climate change as a young student.
You’re taking a unique approach to addressing climate change. Can you share what led you to pursue a PhD in communications?
My academic journey is informed by the diverse world I grew up in. When I was 16, I moved from Indonesia to Armenia to complete my junior and senior years of high school, where I was the only Indonesian student in my class. Following high school, I moved to the States for college. These different signposts in my life and educational journey exposed me to a wide range of perspectives and worldviews. Those experiences ultimately taught me a lot about what it means to be a cultural bridge builder.
Growing up in such diverse environments, I learned firsthand how important empathetic storytelling is when trying to connect across different backgrounds, especially when dealing with complex, often abstract, issues like climate change. These formative experiences helped me realize how sharing diverse perspectives on environmental challenges can foster understanding and collaboration. That insight shaped my college journey.
In undergrad, I majored in environmental science and psychology. I was particularly interested in how perspective-taking can influence environmental behavior. That became the focus of my senior thesis.
A pivotal moment in my journey came when a friend introduced me to a VR documentary called Clouds Over Sidra. Watching it in a 360° format made me realize the unique power of VR to create embodied empathy, something traditional media often struggles to achieve.
Later, I read my lab director’s book, Experience on Demand, which explored how VR can make climate impacts feel more real and emotionally resonant. That book helped me see how these abstract concepts could one day become central to my own research, and it’s what led me to Stanford.
At Stanford, I was especially drawn to the Virtual Human Interaction Lab to study the psychological mechanisms behind immersive experiences. I was also excited about the interdisciplinary opportunities at the Doerr School of Sustainability and the Center for Ocean Solutions. These programs have provided both the theoretical grounding and the collaborative environments I needed to rigorously explore how emerging technologies can foster cross-cultural empathy and inspire collective climate action. This pursuit has become the core focus of my academic journey.
How has Knight-Hennessy shaped you as a future leader in your field?
The leadership development at Knight-Hennessy has been transformative. Through various Knight-Hennessy workshops and events, I've learned a great deal about the science of communication. For instance, in my first year, Dan Klein and Lisa Rowland led weekly storytelling sessions, and one of the workshops centered around the topic of collaboration. The conversations during this session pushed me to think more about how my work intersects such fields as economics, policy, engineering, and public health and ultimately changed how I design my studies. Conversations with scholars during these weekly workshops helped me consider how my academic developments can inspire climate adaptation planning or policy decision-making. The experience also challenged me to think more critically about cross-sector and cross-cultural collaboration as key to advancing climate resilience.
Another meaningful example of Knight-Hennessy’s impact came during one of our winter retreats. I was paired with fellow scholar Hannah Melville-Rea, who had been working with the Sea Level Rise Resiliency District through Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay. Our conversations helped me reimagine what it could look like to partner with community organizations in my research, develop leadership skills, and tap into the power of community organizing. That connection led to my current work with Partnerships for Climate Justice, where I’m helping to develop a protocol for a county-wide, flood early-warning system to provide real-time data to agency staff and the public during emergencies.
What does a day in your life look like?
On a day-to-day basis, I work at the Virtual Human Interaction Lab, where I run VR experiments. That involves everything from programming immersive environments to analyzing large datasets of social VR interactions using natural language processing. Lately, I’ve been focusing on studies that explore how integrating large language models into VR can make climate change experiences feel more immediate and proximal.
Teaching has also been a formative part of my Stanford experience. I currently serve as an instructor for a course on VR and human behavior. It's been eye-opening to learn how to translate complex research concepts for over 100 undergraduate students and to watch them discover how immersive technology can be used to address critical social issues.
As a Knight-Hennessy scholar, one of the things I look forward to most is the weekly storytelling sessions. They’ve given me a chance to learn more about my cohort, the incredible work they’re doing, and the diverse backgrounds they come from. Denning House has become a really special place for me to build community. For example, along with another KH scholar, I organized a Winter Cultures event, where we come together over food, fellowship, and reflections on our different winter traditions.
If you could give advice to prospective Knight-Hennessy applicants, what would you tell them?
I would tell them something a Knight-Hennessy scholar told me: Be your authentic self. The questions included in the application are not solely an opportunity for the selection committee to get to know you; they also prompt you to reflect on your journey and your motivations. Take the time to look back on key moments in your life to gain a deeper understanding of how certain experiences shaped you and how your unique perspectives will contribute to that challenge you're so passionate about. The process of reflection will serve you and give you a stronger sense of self, regardless of the outcome.