Get to Know the 2025 ACM SIGGRAPH Candidates Article

The ACM SIGGRAPH Nominations Committee is pleased to introduce the candidates for the 2025 ACM SIGGRAPH election.  This year, there are 6 candidates running for two open positions for Director at Large. We also have two candidates running for the role of ACM SIGGRAPH Treasurer.

These candidates all have one thing in common: a strong vision for how our vibrant community of researchers and practitioners can respond to and shape the future. Learn more about adding your voice to these important conversations by becoming an ACM SIGGRAPH member. To vote in this year’s election, which commences on June 17th, you must be a member by June 16th.

The Nominations Committee would like to thank Jade Morris and Monique Chang for their support in preparing for this year’s election, and to Zoe Rierson for her copy editing support.

Baoquan Chen, Candidate for Director at Large

Baoquan Chen is a Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean at Peking University with a career intertwined with the ACM SIGGRAPH community since 1998. Baoquan holds joint appointments at the Beijing Film Academy and Peking University’s School of Art. He has experience bridging Eastern and Western academic environments, with a career that has included positions at the University of Minnesota, leadership roles at Shandong University and the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology,

Baoquan has made many contributions to computer graphics with 70 publications in SIGGRAPH conferences and Transactions on Graphics, earning a SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 best paper award. He has been inducted into both the ACM SIGGRAPH Academy and IEEE Visualization Academy.

Baoquan’s service to SIGGRAPH includes chairing SIGGRAPH Asia 2014, serving on numerous committees, and editorial work for ACM Transactions on Graphics. He advocates for embracing AI advances in graphics while maintaining ACM SIGGRAPH’s core values of combining arts and science, and aims to help the organization become more forward-looking and inclusive.

Hongbo Fu, Candidate for Director at Large

Hongbo Fu has been an active participant in the SIGGRAPH community since 2006, contributing in multiple capacities from author to conference chair. He currently serves as Professor and Acting Head of the Division of Arts & Machine Creativity at HKUST, following a 15-year career at City University of Hong Kong’s School of Creative Media.

Holding a PhD in Computer Science from HKUST (2007), Hongbo’s research focuses on computer graphics, HCI, and computer vision. He is a prolific researcher with 150+ publications, including 70+ journal papers in premier venues like ACM Transactions on Graphics, IEEE TVCG, and IEEE PAMI. His SIGGRAPH contributions include serving as SIGGRAPH Asia Conference Chair (2016), on the Conference Advisory Group (2015-2017), and in multiple leadership roles, including Papers Assistant Chair, E-Tech Program Chair, and Workshop Chair. Beyond SIGGRAPH, he serves as Vice-Chair of the Asiagraphics Association (2021-present), has held leadership positions in graphics conferences including Pacific Graphics and Computational Visual Media, and provided editorial service for multiple journals.

If elected, Hongbo aims to strengthen East-West relations in the graphics community, promote cross-disciplinary collaboration, and enhance cooperation between global graphics associations by leveraging his own experiences across Asia, North America, and Europe.

Niloy Mitra, Candidate for Director A

Niloy Mitra is a computer graphics researcher who leads the Smart Geometry Processing group at University College London and heads the Adobe Research London Lab. With degrees from IIT Kharagpur and Stanford University (where he completed his PhD under Leonidas Guibas), Niloy has made numerous contributions to the field of computer graphics, particularly in shape analysis, geometric processing, and machine learning frameworks for generating high-quality visual content.

His professional recognitions include the ACM SIGGRAPH Significant New Researcher Award (2013), the British Computer Society Roger Needham Award (2015), the Eurographics Outstanding Technical Contributions Award (2019), and induction into the SIGGRAPH Academy in 2023.

If elected as a director, Niloy hopes to address key challenges facing the graphics community, including balancing data-driven methods with artistic creativity, developing technologies that enhance rather than displace human talent, and bridging fragmented communities of artists, creators, and researchers. As SIGGRAPH Technical Papers Chair in 2022, Niloy introduced the Conference/Dual track. He is particularly focused on maintaining SIGGRAPH’s high standards of review quality while managing the rapid growth in submissions and developing solutions that preserve scientific integrity while advancing the field.

Kalina Borkiewicz, Candidate for Director B

Kalina Borkiewicz is a scientist, artist, and data storyteller who bridges scientific visualization, film production, and human-centered computing. Her career spans academia, journalism, and supercomputing, with current roles including Associate Graphic Editor at The New York Times and her previous role of Director of Visualization at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. She is currently a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of Utah.

Kalina has served as the 2023 SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival Director, the 2025 Courses Chair, a member of the Nominations Committee, and as a reviewer and juror. She has been a contributor to both SIGGRAPH and SIGGRAPH Asia. Her professional work includes producing immersive fulldome films, concert graphics, and IMAX productions, showcasing her ability to translate complex scientific data into compelling visual narratives.

As a woman in tech, first-generation immigrant, and neurodivergent professional, Kalina brings a unique perspective on inclusive leadership. If elected, she would like to focus on reconnecting with adjacent fields like visualization and gaming, improving attendee retention through data-driven approaches, and strengthening ACM SIGGRAPH’s year-round value as a membership organization. She believes SIGGRAPH is at an inflection point that presents both challenges and opportunities, requiring strategic thinking and bold action to sustain its unique position as a community where artists, scientists, and technologists collaborate effectively.

Patricia Beckman Wells, Candidate for Director B

Patricia is an accomplished filmmaker, technologist, and educator whose relationship with SIGGRAPH began in 1997. Her diverse career spans executive roles at DreamWorks SKG and Walt Disney Animation Studios, academic program development, and consulting on advanced technologies like Epic Games’ Unreal Metahuman project. She currently operates virtual and AI production studios in Los Angeles.

Her contributions to SIGGRAPH include chairing the Education Committee, founding and leading the FJORG! Animation Marathon for three years, and presenting on diversity in 2021. As an award-winning filmmaker, her work has been featured at over 300 festivals, including Slamdance, LACMA, and CERN, with her latest AI-generated short Mombomb, Part 1 receiving international recognition.

Patricia is also the author of Face It: A Visual Reference for Multi-Ethnic Facial Modeling, which is in its second edition. She was the founder of the Interactive Media Arts program at Irvine Valley College, earning a Distinguished Educator Award. If elected, her goal is to strengthen SIGGRAPH’s position at the intersection of creativity and technology by championing ethical AI integration, global inclusion, expanded mentorship opportunities, and greater access to emerging technologies for independent creators and educators.

Kenny Mitchell, Candidate for Director B

Kenny Mitchell has been an active SIGGRAPH community member since first attending the conference in Orlando in 1998, following his early exposure to SIGGRAPH proceedings during his undergraduate studies at Edinburgh University. With a career spanning both academia and industry, Kenny currently serves as a Senior at Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, while also holding positions as a professor at Edinburgh Napier University and as research lead for an EU-funded consortium focused on full body presence online.

His industry experience includes founding Disney Research’s UK lab, contributing to the Harry Potter game series, working on Steven Spielberg’s BAFTA award-winning Boom Blox at EA, and leading rendering visuals for Roblox. His technical contributions include four ACM Transactions on Graphics papers, more than 50 patent awards and two Best of Disney Technology awards.

Kenny has served ACM SIGGRAPH through reviewing papers, organizing workshops and Birds of a Feather sessions, helping launch Proceedings of the ACM and ACM Games: Research and Practice, and most recently, serving on the Conference Advisory Group for three years. If elected, he hopes to empower diverse voices within the SIGGRAPH community, with a particular focus on supporting game and movie developers while maintaining SIGGRAPH’s high standards for artistic content and technical achievement.

Jenny Dana, Candidate for ACM SIGGRAPH Treasurer

Jenny Dana is an independent computer graphics software practitioner with extensive experience spanning academia, government, startups, Fortune 100 companies, and entrepreneurship. Her research interests focus on real-time graphics, XR, and AI. She holds a BA in Computer Science from UC Santa Cruz and an MS in Computer Science from Syracuse University.

Jenny has been an active ACM SIGGRAPH member since 1987 and has served the organization in numerous volunteer capacities. Her SIGGRAPH contributions include roles on the Professional & Student Chapters Committee, a previous term on the ACM SIGGRAPH Executive Committee as the Information Technology Services chair, and as a member of the Nominations Committee. She has also contributed to SIGGRAPH conferences as a paper author, reviewer, subcommittee member for Papers, Courses, and General Submissions, and jury member for various programs.

As a candidate for ACM SIGGRAPH Treasurer, Jenny will advocate for implementing sustainable financial strategies and streamlining the activities that contribute to the financial health of the organization, including membership and sponsorship models. Jenny aims to cultivate an inclusive environment that retains engaged members throughout their careers. She emphasizes the importance of supporting chapter activities and fostering professional connections within the community. Her commitment to ACM SIGGRAPH stems from her appreciation of how the organization connects diverse global researchers, practitioners, artists, educators, and students through their shared passion for computer graphics and interactive techniques.

Corinne Price, Candidate for ACM SIGGRAPH Treasurer

Corinne’s SIGGRAPH journey began as a Student Volunteer in 2002, progressing to roles in Communications, chairing the Early Career Development Committee (2014-2020), serving as Student Volunteer Chair for SIGGRAPH 2019, and managing the Attendee Experience for SIGGRAPH’s first fully virtual conference in 2020. Throughout these positions, Corinne has gained relevant financial experience developing detailed budgets and managing team expenses within ACM SIGGRAPH’s financial framework.

Corinne holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biological Engineering from Cornell University and currently works as a Management and Program Analyst specializing in procurement, strategic planning, and operations. Her career includes positions at major organizations like Northrop Grumman IT, KPMG, Accenture, and ICF, where she supported federal clients in project management, cost estimating, business analysis, and portfolio planning. Her professional credentials include certifications as a Technology Business Management Executive, Certified Cost Estimator/Analyst, Project Management Professional, and ITIL Foundations.

If elected Treasurer, Corinne aims to provide transparent financial guidance to the Executive Committee and Conference Advisory Groups, develop financial strategies that maximize resources, support innovation, and streamline processes. Her focus would be on building financial approaches that empower the organization to invest in member development and community vibrancy, which are particularly important as SIGGRAPH navigates increasingly constrained financial environments.

Announcing the 2025 Award Winners

Distinguished Educator

Glenn Goldman           glenn.goldman@njit.edu     

For pioneering work and providing opportunities to the academic and professional communities in computer graphics and interactive techniques in architecture and design.

Distinguished Artist

Frieder Nake               nake@informatik.uni-bremen.de nake@uni-bremen.de       

In recognition of his foundational work in algorithmic art and his lasting contributions to computer graphics and digital art. Active since the early 1960s, Nake’s work helped define the field at its inception and continues to influence thinking around aesthetics and computation.

Significant New Researcher

Ben Mildenhal             me@bmild.com      

Pratul Srinivasan         pratul.srinivasan@gmail.com

For outstanding contributions to neural rendering and novel view synthesis.

Computer Graphics Achievement

George Drettakis         George.Drettakis@inria.fr

For fundamental contributions to rendering, including visibility and shadows, perceptually-informed rendering, image-based rendering, and 3D Gaussian splatting.

Steven Anson Coons

 Leo Guibas                guibas@cs.stanford.edu

For his numerous and broad contributions to computational geometry, geometric learning, and global illumination.

Practitioner

 Brian Karis                 brian.karis@epicgames.com       

For his work in the area of real-time computer graphics, including his contributions to Physically-Based Rendering, Temporal Anti-Aliasing, and Nanite.

Outstanding Service

Mk Haley        mkhaley@utexas.edu.

For her many years of outstanding and impactful service to the computer graphics community        

Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation

Rohan Sawhney         rsawhney1993@gmail.com     

For a dissertation introducing and exploring a revolutionary approach to geometry processing and simulation which goes beyond traditional finite element methods by applying grid-free Monte-Carlo techniques.

Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Honorable Mention

Suyeon Choi   suyeon@stanford.edu

For a dissertation on ground-breaking work towards the development of holographic near eye displays

Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Honorable Mention

Silvia Sellan    silviasellan@cs.columbia.edu

For a dissertation on robustly and reliably processing geometric models “in the wild“.

SIGGRAPH Academy

 Leif Kobbelt    kobbelt@cs.rwth-aachen.de

For pioneering contributions and leadership in the fields of geometry processing and multiscale modeling.

John (Spike) Hughes  jfh@cs.brown.edu

For outstanding contributions and sustained leadership to computer graphics education and research.

Richard (Hao) Zhang  haoz@sfu.ca

For technical contributions in spectral and learning-based methods for geometric modeling.

Karol Myszkowski       karol@mpi-inf.mpg.de

For foundational contributions to perceptual rendering and High Dynamic Range imaging in graphics.

Procedural Generation in SIGGRAPH ASIA 2024 Visual Design

Join the Design Ad Hoc Committee on 21 April, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET for a webinar focused on how cutting-edge technologies are shaping the world of visual design. This session explores the possibilities of engaging visual expressions created by combining creative concepts with the latest technologies such as procedural generation. Focusing on visual design examples from SIGGRAPH ASIA 2024, we invite the designers to discuss practical approaches that bridge “what to communicate” with “how to communicate it,” accompanied by specific examples. They will show how designers and creators can incorporate technological advancements into their own creative work to achieve more effective visual communication.

Speakers:

Hisato Ogata, Takram

Takeo Igarashi, University of Tokyo

Moderated by Masa Inakage, Keio University, Chair of ACM SIGGRAPH Design adhoc Committee

Register for the webinar and mark your calendar.

2025 ACM SIGGRAPH Candidate Slate

The ACM SIGGRAPH Nominating Committee has proposed the following candidates for the 2025 ACM SIGGRAPH election which will commence on 17 June 2025:

DIRECTOR A:
Baoquan Chen, Peking University
Hongbo Fu, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Niloy Mitra, University College London

DIRECTOR B:
Kalina Borkiewicz, University of Utah
Kenny Mitchell, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Patricia Beckmann, Bunsella Studios and Irvine Valley College School of Art

ACM SIGGRAPH Treasurer:
Jenny Dana
Corinne Price

In accordance with the ACM SIGGRAPH Bylaws, additional candidates may be placed on the ballot by petition. All candidates must be ACM Professional Members as well as members of ACM SIGGRAPH. Anyone interested in petitioning must inform ACM Headquarters, Pat Ryan (ryanp@hq.acm.org), of their intent to petition by 23 April 2025. Petitions must be submitted to ACM Headquarters for verification by  9 May 2025.

The Nominations Committee would like to thank all nominators and nominees for this year’s election cycle.

The 2025 ACM SIGGRAPH Nominations Committee

  • Dena DeBry, Stanford University (chair)
  • Silvia Sellán, Columbia University
  • Tao Ju, Washington University
  • Eitan Grinspun, University of Toronto
  • Yong Tsui (YT) Lee, Nanyang Technological University
  • HyeJin (Jinny) Choo, Korea National University of Arts
  • Jacky Bibliowicz, Autodesk
  • Natasha Warshawsky, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design
  • Thierry Frey, Past Chair (ex-officio)

ACM SIGGRAPH MTUS Chapter Participates in Inaugural “Animation Y’all” Conference

February 21–23, 2025 – The animation industry in Tennessee took a significant step forward with the inaugural “Animation Y’all” conference, held at Lipscomb University and hosted by Disney legends Tom and Tony Bancroft. The event brought together industry professionals, students, and educators for a dynamic weekend of panels, demonstrations, artist showcases, and networking opportunities.

Among the standout participants was the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Animation Department, whose faculty and students played an active role in promoting their animation program and their growing ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter. Led by Professor Kevin McNulty, a key member of AMC SIGGRAPH and the Professional Student Chapter Committee (PSCC), the MTSU booth was a vibrant display of student and alumni work. Monitors showcased animations, a 3D fan displayed digital art, and highlights from student-led clubs like the MTSU SIGGRAPH Chapter were prominently featured.

“When we first heard about this event, we knew we had to be part of it,” McNulty said. “To have it in Middle Tennessee and realize how close we all were—this conference showed that we have a community here. We just haven’t had the chance to connect like this before.”

McNulty emphasized the importance of building relationships at events like Animation Y’all:
“One of my main goals was meeting people I never would have had the opportunity to meet otherwise… and hopefully connecting more people with AMC SIGGRAPH. It’s also great to catch up with old friends and alumni! Seeing current students and alumni meet each other is always a highlight.”

Beyond the professional networking, McNulty highlighted the broader impact of industry events like SIGGRAPH and Animation Y’all:
“With conferences like these, the real value isn’t just about getting a job—it’s about building relationships, catching up with colleagues and friends, and sharing our love for the field.”