When Xiangyi Cheng published her first journal paper as a principal investigator in *IEEE Access* in 2024, it marked more than a professional milestone. For Cheng, an IEEE member and an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles, it was the latest waypoint in a career shaped by curiosity, persistence, and a belief that technology should serve people—not the other way around. The paper’s title was “Mobile Devices or Head-Mounted Displays: A Comparative Review and Analysis of Augmented Reality in Healthcare.” ### XIANGYI CHENG **Employer ** ****Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles **Title ** ****Assistant professor of mechanical engineering **Member grade ** ****Member **Alma maters ** ****China University of Mining and Technology; Texas A&M University Cheng’s work spans robotics, intelligent systems, human-machine interaction and artificial intelligence.…