Member Profile: Benjamin Anderson
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I am an Assistant Professor of Animation and have been teaching in higher education since 2018. In 2023, I was given the opportunity to build a new Animation Program at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. I developed a curriculum that blends artistic practice with modern production pipelines used in animation, game engines, and visual effects, helping students understand both the creative and technical sides of computer graphics.
2. What was your first job?
My first job was as an adjunct instructor at a community college, where I taught 3D animation, 3D modeling, color theory, and graphic design. I wanted my classes to feel like an artist’s studio, where students learned through making, experimenting, and solving creative problems. It was exciting to explore computer graphics alongside students who were discovering the computer as a creative tool for the first time.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I completed my undergraduate degree with a BFA in Painting and Printmaking at Ohio Wesleyan University and my MFA in Studio Art, with a focus in landscape painting, at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. During my MFA studies, I was surrounded by both traditional and digital artists, which influenced my continued exploration of the relationship between fine art and computer graphics.
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
After attending SIGGRAPH 2024 and seeing faculty and student presentations, I was inspired to contribute my students’ work and become more involved with the education community.
In 2025, I began contributing to SIGGRAPH education opportunities, including the Faculty Submitted Student Work (FSSW) exhibition, the SpaceTime student competition, and hosting a Birds of a Feather (BOF) session on 3D Animation Degree Program Development in Higher Education.
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
My favorite memory of SIGGRAPH was my first time attending in 2024. I realized that everything I had been learning about Omniverse, Unreal Engine, and Blender for specific pipeline workflows was no longer something I was exploring on my own; it was part of the everyday conversations happening throughout the conference, from hallways and conference rooms to demonstrations. I will never forget the feeling of belonging somewhere with like-minded people interested in computer science, graphics, interactive techniques, and visual art.
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH community.
One project I have been developing since the mid-2000s combines storytelling, illustration, animation, and motion capture. The project began as a children’s book that I wrote and illustrated, and has evolved into an exploration of how recorded motion data from musicians can help bring characters and environments to life through animation.
This ongoing project has become a laboratory for exploring new tools, production pipelines, and creative workflows, while also providing opportunities to bring emerging technologies into the classroom.
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who would it be and why?
One of my favorite artists is Richard Schmid. Around the time I interviewed to become part of my first art gallery, I learned that Richard Schmid had recently passed away. His work had a tremendous influence on me because of the way he combined technical mastery with creative expression.
I admired his approach to painting as a complete process, where materials, color, composition, and technique all contributed to the final work. That perspective has influenced the way I think about digital art and production pipelines.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
Something most people do not know about me is that I am committed to supporting conversations around neurodiversity and different ways of learning. After learning later in life that I have dyslexia, I gained a greater understanding of how my own brain processes information. This awareness has influenced the way I communicate with others and approach teaching.
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your life? What did they teach you?
During an art reception, I met a former Disney VFX animator who had seen some of my 3D characters based on my children’s book. He supported my character design and storytelling while encouraging me to dive deeper into animation, which resulted in one on one mentorship for over a year.
While completing graduate school, I spent nights studying 2D and 3D animation, creating projects, receiving feedback, and refining my work. This experience taught me the importance of continuing to learn after graduate school, with the mindset that learning is a lifelong journey.
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
The mentors who influenced me early in my career inspired me to become involved with ACM SIGGRAPH. My first internship was at the Modeling, Virtual Environments, and Simulation (MOVES) Institute at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, where I worked under Dr. Don Bruztman and Jeffrey Weekley.
Their mentorship introduced me to collaborative workflows combining visualization, simulation, technology, and creative problem solving. SIGGRAPH was often part of those conversations, and I became interested in a community where artists, researchers, educators, and industry professionals could collaborate and share knowledge.
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
The proudest moment of my career was seeing one of my first BFA graduates begin their professional career as a CG Generalist for a product visualization company. Hearing how my approach to teaching and mentorship contributed to their success meant a great deal to me.
Since then, seeing students share their work through SIGGRAPH opportunities, including the Faculty Submitted Student Work (FSSW) exhibition, and participate as SIGGRAPH volunteers has been incredibly meaningful. These experiences provide students with opportunities for professional development, networking, and finding a community of people who share a passion for computer graphics and creative problem solving.