Meet 6 Student Volunteers for SIGGRAPH 2021
The SIGGRAPH Student Volunteers Program provides integral operational support to the annual SIGGRAPH conference and offers students a unique opportunity to be in front and behind the scenes of the premier conference for computer graphics and interactive techniques. A competitive process, selected student volunteers get to be part of a diverse and inclusive group of motivated, young professionals who are inspired to be the leaders of tomorrow.
Continue reading to meet some of the Student Volunteers that supported SIGGRAPH 2021 and learn about the projects they are most proud of. If you’re a student and interested in participating as a student volunteer during SIGGRAPH 2022, applications will open this fall.
Alexa Quito
ABOUT: Alexa studied animation with an illustration concentration at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and is currently studying graphic design with an illustration concentration at Montgomery College.
THEIR DREAM CAREER: “I dream of working as a character animator at a small animation studio to recreate personal stories and experiences through animation. Everyone has a story to tell and I love listening to them all, while creating ideas on how to bring theirs to life on the screen.”
NOTABLE PROJECT: The Last Trees revolves around a child who travels through their post-apocalyptic town to see the last trees in the area.
Andrew Demel
ABOUT: Andrew graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in May 2020 with a B.A. in animation, with a primary focus in modeling and texturing. Recently, he was hired as a 3D artist for Carbonated Inc., working on the game MadWorld.
THEIR DREAM CAREER “My dream has always been to work as a 3D artist in the Games industry, working on games such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, or God of War. I was recently hired with my first long-term contract as a 3D artist for a mobile game studio. I am primarily modeling and texturing environment assets, and I am thankful that I’m able to learn and build experience with this company!”
NOTABLE PROJECT: Fan art project consisting of a 3D model of the Star Wars Legends Chiss Clawcraft, which was mentioned and involved with the Extended Universe books in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Ashley Chu
ABOUT: Ashley is studying electrical engineering and computer science with a minor in art history at UC Berkeley.
THEIR DREAM CAREER: “I grew up with 3D animated films and video games, so, naturally, I fell in love with the combination of computer science, art, and storytelling. I hope to develop tools for artists after graduation to help tell stories better, or work within the graphics space in some form. Being able to work in those spaces is my ultimate dream.”
NOTABLE PROJECT: Spineless is a 3D animated short featuring the journey of a plant’s self-discovery. It was a group project during UC Berkeley’s student-run UCBUGG 3D animation course. Created by Ashley Chu, Katherine Yuhan, Joshua Yang, and Claudia Korea.
Peiling Jiang
ABOUT: Peiling recently graduated from New York University, where he double majored in interactive media arts and psychology.
THEIR DREAM CAREER: In the near future Peiling wants to study and do research in HCI (human-computer interaction).
NOTABLE PROJECT: b5 is for graphics, fast prototyping, and fun. Using blocks and wires, non-programmers can quickly build and share creative coding projects with the online editor, featuring live coding and embedded documentation. Inspired by p5.js, b5 is multilingual and beginner-friendly.
Rogelio Sol Hernandez
ABOUT: Rogelio graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in visualization. His major was focused on 3D animation, with a minor in art history where he focused on race in contemporary media.
THEIR DREAM CAREER: “It’s my dream to work as a character lead on a 3D animated series or feature film. I love bringing characters to life and telling a story that connects with the audience.”
NOTABLE PROJECT: Rio is the main character of Cascade, a story about a girl who gets caught in a raging storm. Rogelio loved co-directing this project and getting to model Rio.
Trinity Quintanilla
ABOUT: Trinity is currently doing a B.A. in animation at a small private college in Virginia Beach.
THEIR DREAM CAREER: “I believe my dream career will evolve as I grow, but at this point I dream of the opportunity to direct an animated feature or TV series! I’d like to spend my life telling my story and uplifting others to tell theirs, and I love to lead as a servant to my collaborators whenever I’m given the opportunity. From my understanding, directing would be the ultimate opportunity to do so. Until then, though, I’m thankful to lead my team of SIGGRAPH Student Volunteers during the SIGGRAPH 2021 conference.”
NOTABLE PROJECT: “I first created this character in 2019 and have been making slight alterations to the design ever since. This is my most recent version of them that I used for a couple final projects last spring semester. I had a lot of material to build upon — two years of written backstory and supporting characters! I’m continuously developing new ways to make the character emotive and relatable, without losing the core components of their design. I’ve got more explorative drawings of them on my profile, and I hope to share more in the future.”
Registration is still open for SIGGRAPH 2021! Register by 18 October to gain access to hundreds of hours of on-demand and recorded conference content, available on the virtual platform until 29 October 2021.
