Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Celebrating the diversity that exists within the ACM SIGGRAPH community, the ACM SIGGRAPH Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee provides opportunities, both in-person and year-round, to connect with others with common backgrounds, ethnicities, and gender for mentoring and inspiration.
Our goal is to create a welcoming and nurturing community for everyone working in computer graphics and interactive techniques independent of gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, or abilities.
Tony Baylis is a senior leader, partner and advocate for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) programs and activities for the Laboratory. Tony oversees the laboratory’s strategic interactions and successful execution in building and collaborating with academic, community, government, industry, and diversity organization stakeholders. He represents the Laboratory on the subjects of D&I, science, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), outreach efforts, and student programs.
Tony has created and implemented inclusive programs focused on increasing the representation of women and the underserved community in various organizations and industries.
He serves as a Department of Energy champion, a Board Member for the EmpowHer Institute, a Board Member for Shakespeare & Performing Arts Regional Company (SPARC), an Advisory Board Member for the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutes, an advisory board member for the University of California Santa Barbara Center for Black Studies Research, an Industry Advisory Board Member for the University of Florida Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department, and a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultant. He also serves as a conference program committee member, a speaker, moderator, a contributor, and reviewer for a number of STEM programs, conferences, and workshops.
Tony is a graduate from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Tony’s career represents 34 years of administrative, project, program, technical, organizational management, and senior leadership. He has worked in industry, broadcast media, scientific and technical environments for over 30 years. His passions are to lead by example, deliver results, demonstrate allyship daily, live a fully inclusive life, be socially conscious, learn continuously, travel with curiosity, and serve others by helping them find their passions in life.
Committee Members
Alex Bryant
Alex Bryant is an Emmy® award-winning Project Manager at ad agency GSD&M based in Austin, TX, USA. His portfolio has 10 years of experience in social media, graphic design, and production disciplines in entertainment, technology, advertising, and nonprofits. His expertise has contributed to the following brands: CBS, Dick Clark Productions, Oprah Winfrey Network, NBCUniversal, CTV, the Daytime Emmys, Vanity Fair, and the NAACP. For over a decade, Alex has served multiple roles at ACM SIGGRAPH including chairing the SIGGRAPH 2021 Student Volunteer Program, being Social Media Manager on the Communications Committee, and serving as a founding member of the ACM SIGGRAPH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
John Cays
John Cays is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Hillier College of Architecture and Design. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of the Arts and Master of Architecture degree from Princeton University. He is a recognized sustainable design professional. John co-founded GRADE Architects, an architecture and interior design firm in NYC. Prior to that John was as a project manager at Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
John has been active in various academic and professional associations, including serving as North East Regional Director for the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture from 2014 – 2017 and as a Director on the National Architectural Accrediting Board from 2017 – 2020. He currently serves on the SIGGRAPH Education and DEI Committees and is a current Board member of the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment. John was the 2021 recipient of the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment Education LCA Leadership Award. He is the Author of An Environmental Life Cycle Approach to Design: LCA for Designers and the Design Market published by Springer Nature.
Alain Chesnais
Alain Chesnais is a Senior Software Development Manager with a strong background in Computer Graphics and Big Data. He is an accomplished innovator and leader, having received a Technical Academy Award for his contributions to the development of Maya 3D software. Chesnais has held key leadership positions in various companies, including Amazon, Receptiviti, Big Viking Games, and TrendSpotter. He is a long time volunteer at SIGGRAPH and ACM. He served as SIGGRAPH President from 2002 through 2005 and ACM President from 2010 through 2012. He received the ACM SIGGRAPH Outstanding Service Award in 2016.
Shoko Kimura
Shoko Kimura works as a Research Associate at Aoyama Gakuin University’s Department of Intelligent Information Technology and is currently studying for her doctorate at Nagoya Institute of Technology in Aichi, Japan. She is primarily interested in researching Mental/Autism/Disability Support, Calming Down, Inclusivity, Digital Rehabilitation, Digital Fabrication, Media Art, and Interaction.
She was also previously interested in HCI, affective engineering, and facial emotion. These studies are connected to the realization of an inclusive society that she is aiming for. She is committed to creating a society that is more inclusive through her research. Shoko is a strong proponent of neurodiversity and inclusion and holds membership in ACM, and being involved in ACM SIGGRAPH’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and International Resources Committees. Shoko is capable of discussing the current state of accommodations in Japan and other Asian countries.
Daniel Pillis
Daniel Pillis is an interdisciplinary researcher and artist who specializes in performance capture, mixed reality, and interactive computer graphics. Currently, Pillis’s research is focused on creating novel interfaces that enhance memory visualization. At Emerson College, Pillis leads the Human/Simulation Interaction Lab, conducting creative research that explores the impact of simulations on the future of the human experience. Pillis holds an MS in Tangible Media from the MIT Media Lab and an MFA in immersive media from Carnegie Mellon University. He was previously a student of both Dr. Hiroshi Ishii, a founding figure in human computer interaction, as well as Dr. Ivan Sutherland, a preeminent figure in computer graphics. He held previous posts as a research assistant at the CMU Robotics Institute and as a Research Assistant Professor of Immersive Environments.
Lynn Villafuerte
Lynn Villafuerte, Chief of DEIA Workforce Engagement at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office for Energy Justice and Equity (EJE), oversees the DEIA functions and strategy related to diverse external outreach, Employee Resource Groups(ERGs) and internal engagement. Ms. Villafuerte leads the DEIA Workforce Engagement Division, with team members serving as DEIA subject matter experts collaborating across the Office of Energy Justice and Equity and DOE National Laboratories and program offices. She also serves the White House Initiative for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Regional Network co-lead for Region 7 covering Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa.
Jeffrey Weekley
Director of Research IT, UC Santa Cruz. Jeffrey has been involved with SIGGRAPH DEI efforts since 2003 as a founding member of the SIGGRAPH LGBTQIA+ affinity group. He is currently also a PhD student in Computational Media at UC Santa Cruz, where he investigates the uses of generative AI to create alternate pathways for learning.
Victor Zordan
Kader Bagli
Previous Members
- Myriam Beauvais
- Mashhuda Glencross
- Gwen Lofman
- Kevin Griffin
- Natalie Rountree-Bell
- Diana Arellano
- Aruquia Peixoto
- June Kim
- Adam Shay
- Santiago Echeverry