Member Profile: Sung-eui Yoon
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I’m a professor and researcher in computer graphics and AI, with over
20 years of experience advancing scalable rendering, machine learning
for graphics, and real-time systems.
2. What was your first job?
My first job was as a research assistant during graduate school,
developing real-time rendering and simulation techniques. Later,
during my master’s program, I joined a startup that was spun out of
our research lab.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I completed my Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I started attending SIGGRAPH as a graduate student and later
contributed as a reviewer, author, and committee member for technical
papers.
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
My favorite memory is presenting my first paper and feeling part of a
global community pushing the boundaries of graphics and interactive
techniques.
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM
SIGGRAPH community.
I’d like to highlight our work on Monte Carlo denoising and scalable
ray tracing, which helped bridge graphics and deep learning while
enabling high-quality rendering on large-scale scenes.
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who
would it be and why?
At this stage, I’d like to meet professors who have successfully
mentored students in transforming research projects into impactful
startups. Their insights on fostering both academic excellence and
entrepreneurial growth would be incredibly valuable.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I enjoy mentoring student startups and helping them transition
academic innovations into real-world impact.
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your
life? What did they teach you?
My Ph.D. advisor taught me how to think rigorously while staying open
to unexpected ideas—lessons that continue to shape my research and
teaching.
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to
work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
Yes, Dinesh Manocha encouraged me early in my career to become
involved with the SIGGRAPH community, which had a lasting impact on my
professional path. Dave Kasik has also been a continual source of
support and inspiration, motivating me to stay actively engaged with
the community.
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
Seeing my students grow into independent researchers and innovators,
some founding impactful startups, has been the most rewarding part of
my career.