1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I taught Computer Science at Clarkson University for 37 years, from 1978 until 2015. After retiring from my full-time faculty position, I continued at Clarkson from 2015 to the present as an Adjunct Research Professor in Computer Science.
2. What was your first job?
My very first job was as a librarian at age 14. I love books and libraries! My first academic job was at Clarkson University in the Department of Computer Science.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst from 1969 until 1973, and graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics (Phi Beta Kappa). I then attended graduate school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. After one year in the Math Department, I transferred to the Computer Science Department. I then worked with Herb Gelernter in Artificial Intelligence on the SYNCHEM2 project with a team of graduate students and a post-doc.
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
When I completed my M.S. in Computer Science at Stony Brook in 1976 I joined the ACM as a student member and SIGART (as it was then called – now it’s SIGAI). In 1978 I added SIGGRAPH to my membership. At the time, my main research area was in Artificial Intelligence, but I had a very strong interest in Computer Graphics as well. I created and taught a variety of new Computer Science courses at Clarkson, including Artificial Intelligence in 1979, and Computer Graphics in 1980 (in the days of a green dot on a black screen). In the 1990s, I created a lab in Virtual Reality at Clarkson, and introduced a course on Virtual Environments. My interest in 3D immersive virtual environments and computer graphics grew, and I was able to attend SIGGRAPH 2006 in Boston. I was blown away, and have attended all SIGGRAPH conferences since then! I joined the ACM SIGGRAPH Digital Art committee in 2015, and have been an active member since.
I established Clarkson’s ACM student chapter in 1980, and was the chapter advisor until 2015. In 2007 I established Clarkson’s ACM SIGGRAPH student chapter, and advised it until my retirement in 2015.
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
I have so many it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I was thrilled and fascinated with drawing the iconic teapot on a virtual etch-a-sketch among the audience of thousands waving red/green wands at SIGGRAPH 2006 in Boston, followed by the Electronic Theater!
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH community.
I have been working with Bonnie Mitchell, Bowling Green State University, and a team of students since 2016 on a Digital Art Archive for ACM SIGGRAPH (https://digitalartarchive.
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who would it be and why?
I would be fascinated to have a dinner conversation with Alan Turing. His impact on Computing and Artificial Intelligence is legend.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I am a figure skater specializing in Ice Dance. I am also a sharpshooter.
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your life? What did they teach you?
It’s hard to choose just one. I have learned so much from parents and my husband, but in particular I learned a love of reading and love of mathematics from my father.
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I have been interested in ACM SIGGRAPH from the early days of my career. When I finally had the opportunity to participate in SIGGRAPH conferences I met many wonderful people. In particular my association with Bonnie Mitchel is most memorable.
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
I co-created, along with James Lynch, Clarkson’s major in Computer Science in 1979, and was also deeply involved in creating Clarkson’s MS and PhD in Computer Science.