News

LGBTQ+ members are a valued part of our community.  Earlier this year, concerns were raised by the LGBTQ+ members of our community regarding our selection of Kuala Lumpur as the location of SIGGRAPH Asia.  In our response, we did not acknowledge the value of our LGBTQ+ community firmly and unequivocally.  We got that wrong.

Do you have a vision for the future of computer graphics and interactive techniques? You should consider running for the ACM SIGGRAPH Executive Committee (EC.) 

The ACM SIGGRAPH Executive Committee sets the strategic direction for the future of the organization and provides oversight over our organization’s year-round activities. Each year, ACM SIGGRAPH members have the opportunity to vote for three new members for the Executive Committee.

This year, we are looking for candidates to run for three open Directors-at-Large positions. The committee is looking for candidates who:

• Are ACM SIGGRAPH members
• Have a strong perspective about the future of our organization
• Have a proven track record of successful volunteerism
• Are collaborative and collegial 
• Can meet the time commitment for serving on the EC
• Are willing to serve a portion of their term as the ACM SIGGRAPH Chair if asked to serve

If you are interested in running for the Executive Committee, would like to nominate someone, or have questions about the process, please reach out. The Nominations Committee Chair can be reached at ec-nominations@siggraph.org. 

Nominations must be made no later than 11:59PM EDT on February 1, 2026. Nominations must be accompanied by the nominee’s full name and email address. 

Visit ACM SIGGRAPH’s Policy Guidelines to learn more about the nominations and election process.

ACM SIGGRAPH is recruiting for the chair of the Outstanding Service Award Committee.

The SIGGRAPH Outstanding Service Award is given annually to recognize an individual for outstanding service to SIGGRAPH by a volunteer who has given extraordinary service both in the trenches and in positions of more responsibility or visibility, over a significant period. The award includes a lifetime Pioneer membership in ACM SIGGRAPH. The criteria used to evaluate candidates for the award include the longevity, impact, and importance of the service.

The Chair solicits nominations for the Award by advertising the Award through the standard ACM SIGGRAPH channels, e.g., website, Interactions Newsletter, and social media during the late Fall and again in early January. Nominations for the Outstanding Service Award must be submitted to the Chair by January 31 of each year. The Chair may gather additional information on the nominees and maintains the list of previous nominees who did not receive the award as they may be carried forward as candidates.

The Outstanding Service Award Committee consists of five members, usually prior awardees who serve five-year terms. Each year one person rotates off and a new person, chosen by the Chair, rotates on the committee. The custom has been that each new Award winner serves on the Committee. The Committee discusses the Nominees and votes for the winner. If no winner is chosen, there is a discussion followed by another round of voting. This continues until the Committee agrees on a winner. The Chair does not vote and maintains the vote records.

Once an awardee is selected, the chair works with the SIGGRAPH Awards chair to coordinate announcement of the selection and its presentation at the SIGGRAPH conference.

If interested in the position, please contact the SIGGRAPH Awards chair, Jeff Jortner. Applications for the position will close September 15, 2025.

Webinar Explores the Future of Human-Technology Convergence

As society continues to evolve at the crossroads of physical and digital innovation, an upcoming ACM SIGGRAPH webinar titled “Designing for Hybrid: How Will Physical AI and Digital Twin Shape Our Society?” will dive into the implications of these converging forces on human experience, design, and interaction.

Scheduled for Tuesday, July 29 at 4:00 PM PDT, this event brings together leading thinkers and innovators who will explore how Physical AI, the embodiment of digital intelligence into real-world systems, and the Digital Twin, a virtual representations of physical systems are transforming industries, lifestyles, and urban ecosystems.

Featured Panelists:

• Ivan Poupyrev, Archetype AI
• Yuya Yamaguchi, Sony Honda Mobility

Moderators:

• Masa Inakage, Keio University
• Mark Billinghurst, Independent Researcher
• Yamen Saraiji, SONY AI

Through real-world examples and forward-looking insights, the panel will showcase how the physical and virtual are no longer separate domains, but components of a unified hybrid society.

This webinar is essential for technologists, designers, urban planners, and futurists who are curious about the next frontier of human-technology integration.

Register now to secure your spot and be part of the conversation shaping our hybrid future.

Formally established in May 2025, the ACM SIGGRAPH Rainbow Affinity Group seeks to connect, empower, and support LGBTQ+ individuals in the fields of computer graphics and interactive techniques. Through skill-development opportunities, mentorship, showcases, and dedicated venues for socializing, collaboration, and networking, both at the annual conference and year-round, the group fosters an inclusive and vibrant professional community.

The group’s vision is to support all individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ through inclusive mentorship and community connection. In particular, it aims to uplift emerging professionals and students as they find their voice within the broader SIGGRAPH community, while also continuing to provide more established members with a welcoming space to reconnect, celebrate, and sustain long-standing relationships.

Modeled in part after the successful model of Women in SIGGRAPH, the Rainbow Affinity Group traces its roots to 2002, when a small coalition of students and early-career professionals began organizing informal gatherings in response to the absence of visible LGBTQ+ spaces within the SIGGRAPH ecosystem. What began as a grassroots, do-it-yourself effort has since evolved into a thriving annual Birds of a Feather (BoF) meeting, drawing hundreds of attendees from across SIGGRAPH’s diverse disciplines and professional backgrounds.

Over time, the scope and inclusivity of the group have expanded significantly. Once focused primarily on gay men, the modern Rainbow Affinity Group affirms a broader spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities, reflecting the richness and complexity of queer experience today. A pivotal moment came during the 2024 Rainbow Meetup BoF, when participants, particularly students, expressed a strong desire for more sustained engagement, community-building, and formal recognition within ACM SIGGRAPH. That feedback galvanized longtime organizers to take the next step: establishing a standing affinity group dedicated to fostering a lasting and visible LGBTQ+ presence within the organization.

At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts face mounting challenges in many sectors, the Rainbow Affinity Group stands as a clear commitment to building a safe and affirming space for intersectional queer identities. Its members represent the full range of SIGGRAPH’s creative and technical community: artists, designers, engineers, storytellers, directors, and scientists. And they reflect the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, intersex, non-binary, Two-Spirit, pansexual, questioning, and others.

By establishing a sustained structure for visibility, connection, and professional development, the Rainbow Affinity Group ensures that LGBTQ+ members are not only included, but celebrated.

The Rainbow Affinity Group Chair is Jeffrey Weekley. Other committee members include AJ Christensen and Victor Zordan.