Computer scientist with scholarly understanding and practical experience in mathematical and computational issues in computer graphics and vision. Effective project manager with broad organizational experience. Strong track record of building cross-division, arts-centered engineering education programs for museums and K-12 schools. Interest and expertise in computer graphics, computer vision, augmented reality, immersive environments, drone shows, remote sensing, digital halftoning, animatronics and computer science education.

Francesca Franco is a Venetian-born curator, art historian and producer based in the UK and Italy. She is Visiting Professor at Danube University Krems, where she teaches Media Art and Curatorial Practice. From 2019 to 2023, she was Co-Investigator on the AHRC-funded project “Documenting digital art: re-thinking histories and practices of documentation in the museum and beyond” at the University of Exeter. In 2022 she produced and curated “Vera Molnár: Icône 2020”, an exhibition centred on a new commission, “Icône 2020″, at the 59th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia. In 2017, she was curator-in-residence at the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa Venice, where she curated “Algorithmic Signs”, an exhibition that explored the history of pioneering generative art. The central theme of Francesca’s research is the history of art and technology and the pioneers of computer art. A major focus has been the history of the Venice Biennale culminating in a series of publications that have been translated into various languages. Her first solo-authored book, “Generative Systems Art”, was published by Routledge in 2018. Her second monograph, “The Algorithmic Dimension”, was published by Springer in 2022. Her forthcoming book on the history of computer art at the Venice Biennale will be published by Springer in 2024. Her current exhibition, “Vera Molnár: Variazioni Icône”, is on view through March 2024 at the Accademia d’Ungheria in Rome.

Victoria Szabo is a Research Professor of Visual and Media Studies and Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies at Duke University. She also directs the Information Science + Studies Program and the PhD in Computational Media, Arts & Cultures. She has a PhD in Victorian Literature and Culture and works in digital humanities and media art, with an emphasis on location-based urban histories, multimodal cultural heritage, and digital storytelling. Before moving to Duke, she worked in Academic Technology at Stanford University. She is also part of the Psychasthenia Studio Art collaborative and the international Visualizing Cities consortium. She has been involved in a variety of SIGGRAPH Art-related roles, including SIGGRAPH Art Gallery Chair, Art Papers Chair, Art Papers Chair for SIGGRAPH Asia, Chair of the Year-Round Digital Arts Community for the Org, and is the current Chair of the Arts Advisory Group. She is also part of the SIGGRAPH Governance Committee.

My career spans work in animation, VFX, live action feature, short form as well as live theatrical production. The Hollywood Reporter called my feature producing debut Other Madnesses “a film that effectively gets under your skin”. I have stage managed the legendary Blue Man Group at the Astor Place Theatre in New York City and contributed as a visual effects artist on Star Trek: Into Darkness, Pacific Rim, Iron Man 3 and Wolverine. I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Computer Art from School of Visual Arts and my BFA in Production Management from DePaul University. I am especially proud to have been the Producer of the planetarium show Signs of Life playing in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium at Griffith Observatory. And thrilled to now manage the Production Team at DNEG in Vancouver.

Kalina is currently working on a PhD in computer graphics and visualization at the University of Utah. Prior to her return to school, Kalina was Director of the Visualization Program Office and Director of the Advanced Visualization Lab (AVL) at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she worked for almost a decade. The AVL is an Academy Award-nominated team which creates cinematic scientific visualizations for museums, IMAX, and documentary films, making complex science topics accessible and exciting to millions of people around the world by leveraging Hollywood cinematography and storytelling tools and techniques. In her recent SIGGRAPH history, Kalina served as the 2023 Director of the Electronic Theater program.

Carlos Humberto Tejeda, better known as Cabe Tejeda, is a borderland director/actor/animator born in El Paso, Texas in 1993. He has spent most of his career focusing on story and visual storytelling and theater. Attended New Mexico State University with the degree of digital film and animation/vfx. Right after graduation, he started working at PRC productions, where he spent most of his times as a vfx supervisor/actor and director. Where he directed many Halloween short films and the TV Pilot, “The Politically Correct Neighborhood of Mr George”.

Nandhini Giri, PhD is a researcher, educator, and creative practitioner in the field of human computer interaction design, computer graphics, and information systems. Dr. Giri is an assistant professor in the department of computer graphics technology and director of the Experience Realities Lab at Purdue university. Dr. Giri and her students design interactive systems and pedagogical tools that explore the tangible and intangible elements of cultures, cultivation, and contemplation in human-centered entertainment computing practices.

Nathan Matsuda is a research scientist at Meta developing computational camera and display systems that support immersive visual experiences in AR/VR. Nathan previously worked as a visual effects artist focusing on virtual production for episodic television.

Diana Arellano holds the roles of CGI-Development Chapter Lead, Agile Coach and Project Lead at Accenture Song Content Germany in Stuttgart, Germany. As such she gets to work closely with agile teams, bringing structure and best practices to internal teams and client projects. Diana has also been very involved in the co-organization of panel discussions about Women in CG and Visual Arts in conferences like SIGGRAPH, SIGGRAPH Asia, FMX or Ars Electronica. She has been volunteering for SIGGRAPH and ACM SIGGRAPH since 2007 where she started as Student Volunteer, served as International Resources Committee (IRC) Chair, External Relation Committee Chair and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee member. She was the SIGGRAPH 2022 Student Volunteer Program Chair, and will be the SIGGRAPH 2025 EC Liaison.

Adam Bargteil is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He completed his Ph.D. in computer science at the University of California at Berkeley and then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in the City of Bridges working in the Graphics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University. Before returning home to Maryland, he was an assistant professor in the School of Computing at the University of Utah.

I envision a world where technology not only retains our humanity but enhances it. I am endlessly fascinated by the many ways in which people authentically communicate, learn, and share knowledge. I have seen firsthand the power this holds when done well. And I am passionate about making it better every single day. I live by a simple but powerful mantra: be kind, show up, learn, give, and empower. And when the going is tough, dig deep to find your true grit and then give some more…because that’s when breakthroughs happen. I have devoted my 20+ years of research, development, and engineering expertise to understanding and unlocking human connection through computer graphics and digital interfaces. And then created a patented way for everyone to be able to create their own 3D digital double—their digital twin—via a revolutionary and patented new platform. I’m using my expertise in software development, machine learning algorithms, physical simulations, geometric deformation, video game development and design, 3D visualization, facial modeling, facial animation, facial rigging, facial recognition to build an exciting future where humans can unlock their full potential. Specialties: software development, algorithms, physical simulations, geometric deformation, video game development and design, 3D visualization, facial modeling, facial animation, facial rigging, facial recognition.

Bio Coming Soon!!

With more than two decades of experience in immersive technologies and a background in software engineering and research, Saskia is a recognized authority and thought leader in the XR field. As the technical lead for XR at Ordina – a Sopra Steria company, she drives the development of cutting-edge Unity3D applications and virtual/augmented reality solutions, working closely with clients to deliver innovative solutions. Saskia’s technical expertise and community leadership have earned her the prestigious Microsoft MVP award for Mixed Reality four years in a row, and she has been recognized as an Ordina Codesmith. Beyond her day-to-day responsibilities, Saskia is actively involved in organizing major industry events and international user group meetups. Fluent in English, German, and Dutch, Saskia is well-equipped to collaborate on global projects and connect with diverse audiences. Committees/boards: SIGGRAPH Immersive Pavilion (since 2020), VR Days 2023 & 2022, Global XR Conference (since 2020), SIGGRAPH Real-Time Live! 2021, Global XR Community (since 2019), IEEE AIVR 2021, IEEE AIVR 2020, SIBGRAPI 2020, Mixed Reality User Group

With over 25 years of extensive experience in software development, project/product management, and executive leadership, I am a fervent advocate for innovation, particularly in the nuanced interplay between art and science. Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Groupe Échappe-toi, a prominent player in the escape game industry, I direct operations and shape strategic initiatives, incorporating cutting-edge augmented and virtual reality technologies to craft amazing immersive experiences for our clientèle. My expertise spans software and web development and crosses over to the business domain, both in sales and customer support. These competencies have been applied across diverse sectors, including computer graphics, education, and consulting, where I’ve collaborated with global teams and clients. Recognized with multiple accolades for my exceptional service and contributions to the ACM SIGGRAPH community, I am dedicated to advocating for technology’s role in supporting artistic and creative expression. Driven by a mission to instigate innovation and advancement in every project, my goal is not only to excel in my endeavors but also to inspire others to embrace a similar ethos of continuous improvement.

Chloe LeGendre is a senior software engineer in Google Research, where she is currently working on computational photography and high dynamic range imaging. Her research typically applies machine learning to problems in computer graphics, photography, and imaging, with a special focus on scene lighting measurement and estimation, color science, and portrait photography manipulation. As a member of USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies’s Vision and Graphics Lab, Chloe graduated with a PhD in Computer Science in 2019 from the University of Southern California, where she was advised by Paul Debevec. Chloe has also worked in the R&D divisions of Netflix, L’Oréal USA, and Johnson & Johnson, focused on emerging technology development in the areas of virtual production, augmented reality, and imaging.

-Senior Pipeline developer, Quixel
-FX Supervisor (Facility) Double Negative Vancouver
-FX Supervisor at Rhythm and Hues studios Vancouver
-Head of 3D and Technology at Method Studios Vancouver
-Senior FX TD at Framestore-CFC
-Senior Technical Director at Rhythm and Hues studios
-Support lead, training lead, senior demo artist at Side Effects Software
-Extensive education experience, inc. teaching, curriculum development, hardware/software acquisition and setup
-Live TV (news) cameraman
-Practical FX work
Goals: Continued happiness!
Specialties: Education, Management, Houdini,
FX Setup/Pipe Supervision, Development

I grew up in San Sebastián / Donostia, a beautiful city in the Basque Country, northern Spain. I work in Computer Graphics professionally in different roles – I’ve been a Technical Artists, a Product Manager, a Software Engineer and a Research Engineer, see resume. When life and work permit, I enjoy publishing and sharing everything I discover or invent here: https://iquilezles.org/

Marco builds and scales experiences based on spatial technologies. After writing his first scientific article on the topic of virtual worlds in 2009, he has been following this passion ever since. With half a decade of experience running and scaling projects and a masters focused on XR production, he started Kreis Immersive, a boutique XR production company. With its own social VR stack and MR production team, they service clients and brands in the arts and culture industry.

Creativity is my passion. I strive to challenge myself and my peers to think outside the box, to read between the lines and to exhaust all of our design options to develop the best product or presentation we can. My positions have always required me to devise a production quality solution in a short amount of time. I enjoy searching for new innovate ways to pitch an idea or entertain a viewer. I find working with teams in a multidisciplinary field a great opportunity to learn from each other and discover new ways to solve problems that you may not have even considered. I will always seek out positions that allow me to constantly learn and add to my skills.

Bio Coming Soon!!

I am a Full Professor in the School of Computing Science at SFU and I have also been an Amazon Scholar since November 2021. I am an IEEE Fellow (see SFU news coverage) and hold a Distinguished University Professorship. I obtained my Ph.D. from the Dynamic Graphics Project (DGP) at the University of Toronto, and MMath and BMath degrees from the University of Waterloo. I direct the GrUVi (Graphics U Vision) Lab, one of the top places in the world to conduct computer graphics and computer vision research. My research is in computer graphics and more broadly, visual computing, with special interests in geometric modeling, shape analysis, 3D vision, geometric deep learning, and computational design and fabrication. I have published more than 180 papers on these topics, including 65+ articles in SIGGRAPH (+Asia) and ACM Trans. on Graphics (TOG), the top venue in computer graphics, and I have an Erdös number of 3. My research has been sponsored by Adobe, Autodesk, Boeing, Google, Huawei, MITACS, and NSERC. I am privileged to have worked with many excellent students and postdocs. As of 2022, twelve of them are working as professors themselves. Awards and honours won by my current and past students include the Alain Fournier Best Graphics Thesis Award, Asia Graphics Young Researcher Award, National Science Fund for Outstanding and Excellent Young Scholars in China (1 杰青, 2 优青), Azrieli Postdoc Fellowship, winners/finalists of Google, NVidia and Adobe PhD Fellowships, as well as CVPR 2020 Best Student Paper Award and Best Paper Award at SGP 2008. Major companies where my students are working or have worked at include Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Bytedance, EA, Google, Huawei, Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft, NVidia, and Snap. In my spare time, I play badminton regularly, run about 5-10K per week, ski on blue/black runs, and occasionally come up with cool puzzles to “challenge” prospective grad students.

Bio Coming Soon!!