Dr. Barbara Mones

Biography

Barbara Mones is a Teaching Professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, where she serves as the Director of the Reality Studio and leads the Facial Expression Research Group (FERG) and Octopus Research Group (ORG). With over 30 years of experience in academia and industry, Barbara has focused on areas such as computing education, augmented reality, virtual reality, computer graphics, and animation. She is the founder and Director of the Visual Information Technology Graduate Program at George Mason University and has been a Visiting Researcher in the Department of Computer Science at George Washington University. Barbara has also been a fellow at the Human Interface Technology Lab at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and has worked with agencies such as the White House and NASA on Al Gore’s GLOBE Program. Her notable contributions to the animation industry include designing training programs for companies such as Dreamworks/PDI and Industrial Light & Magic. Barbara has directed and produced twenty animated shorts since 1999 and has lectured internationally on animation and curriculum development. Her work has featured in theaters and museums globally, including the ACM SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater and the Smithsonian Institution. In recognition of her contributions, she received the 2021 SIGGRAPH Distinguished Teaching Award and is an active member of the ACM SIGGRAPH Executive and Education Committees.

Research Interests