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Computer Science @ Rochester
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
5:00 PM
Hoyt Hall
Tony Derose
Pixar
How Mathematics Has Changed Hollywood
Over the past two decades, filmmaking has been completely revolutionized by advances in areas such as computational physics and applied math. Using numerous examples drawn from Pixar’s films, this lay audience talk will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the role that mathematics has played in the revolution.

BIO: Tony DeRose is a senior scientist and lead of the Research Group at Pixar Animation Studios. He received a BS in physics in from the University of California, Davis, and a PhD in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining Pixar in 1996, he was a professor in the Computer Science and Engineering department at the University of Washington. In 1998, he was a major contributor to the Oscarwinning short film Geri’s game; in 1999 he received the ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award; and in 2006 he received a Scientific and Technical Academy Award for his work on surface representations. In addition to his research interests, DeRose is also involved in a number of initiatives to help make math, science, and engineering education more inspiring and relevant for middle and high school students. One such initiative is the Young Makers Program (youngmakers.org), which supports youth in building ambitious hands on projects of their own choosing.

Open to the public