Bio
I just finished my Ph.D in computer graphics under Michael Garland, in May 2005. I also received my M.S. here at the University of Illinois in Spring 2001. Before that, and following the receipt of my B.Sc. in Spring 1997 from the University of British Columbia (yes, I’m Canadian) I worked on operating systems and networking software for paging infrastructure for Glenayre for a couple of years. It is likely only coincidence that they abandoned the business and even closed their Vancouver operations shortly after I left for grad school.
I now work for Google, helping them take over the earth.
I have been engaged to Rae for over three years now. As she wants to get married in her childhood home (Hawaii), the wedding would remain far off -- except I have that real job now. Alas. In the meantime, we have a kitty named Bebedora who lives for feathers, preferably purple, attached to strings, and dancing.
Research
Given my own distinct lack of talent, the overriding goal of my thesis research was to lower the artistic skill required for creating and working with computer graphics. Modelling by example is a powerful paradigm for achieving these goals (this webpage, my first real attempt at HTML, was, in fact, modelled by example from my advisor’s). I developed various extensions to existing tools for modelling images by example, and also generalized such tools to model 3D surfaces. I’ve developed jump map-based texture synthesis, among the fastest methods for texture synthesis in images, while its extension to surfaces is presently the fastest known. More recently, I developed geodesic fans, a new local neighbourhood representation for surfaces.
Contact Info
I have at long last moved out to Silicon Valley. Oh how I miss the freezing winters and scorching summers of Illinois. I never answer my phone so the only real way to contact me these days is email.
