UCLA Computer Scientist Demetri Terzopoulos Elected to the Canadian Academy of Engineering

Demetri Terzopoulos
Courtesy of Demetri Terzopoulos

Oct 9, 2024

UCLA Samueli Newsroom

Demetri Terzopoulos, a distinguished professor and chancellor’s professor of computer science at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, was named a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Chosen as one of 49 new fellows this year, Terzopoulos was recognized by the professional society for his novel approach to computer graphics and computer vision that unites the two fields using physics. Additionally, the academy recognized his breakthroughs at the leading edge of artificial intelligence and biomechanical systems, resulting in remarkably realistic simulations of humans and other animals.

New fellows are elected by the society’s membership for “outstanding contributions to engineering in Canada and around the world and for their service as role models in their fields and to their communities.” They are chosen within the fields of education, infrastructure, innovation, energy, transportation and other industries and are committed to using their expertise to the benefit of all Canadians.

Terzopoulos leads the UCLA Computer Graphics & Vision Laboratory, which researches computer graphics, vision and artificial intelligence. Terzopoulos’ contributions in these areas have broad applications, such as expanding the capabilities of AI for the healthcare industry. Since joining UCLA Samueli in 2005, Terzopoulos has advised more than 100 master’s and 34 doctoral students. Prior to joining the school, he was a professor of computer science and mathematics at New York University and a professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Toronto. 

Among his many honors, Terzopoulos has received an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Pioneer Award in 2020 and an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2006 for his work on physics-based computer graphics used in motion pictures. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, the International Engineering and Technology Institute, the Royal Society of Canada and the Royal Society of London. He is also a life fellow of the IEEE, a former member of the European Academy of Sciences and the New York Academy of Sciences, and a life member of Sigma Xi.

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