Biography

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Dr. Andrew Glassner is a writer-director, and a consultant in storytelling, interactive fiction, and computer graphics. He started working in 3D computer graphics in 1978, and has carried out research at the NYIT Computer Graphics Lab, Case Western Reserve University, the IBM TJ Watson Research Lab, the Delft University of Technology, Bell Communications Research, Xerox PARC, and Microsoft Research. The New York Times wrote, “Andrew Glassner [is one] of the most respected talents in the world of computer graphics research.”

A popular speaker, Glassner has delivered invited addresses to groups around the world on topics ranging from computer graphics to storytelling. He is also a well-known writer, and has published numerous technical papers and books on topics ranging from 3D modeling, rendering, and animation to digital sound synthesis. His book 3D Computer Graphics: A Handbook for Artists and Designers has taught a generation of artists through two editions and three languages. Glassner created and edited the Graphics Gems series and created and wrote several chapters in the book An Introduction to Ray Tracing. He wrote the two-volume university-level textbook Principles of Digital Image Synthesis.

He is also the author of three books that compile and update almost a decade’s worth of Andrew Glassner’s Notebook, a regular column on computer graphics published in IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications. He has served as Papers Chair of the SIGGRAPH ’94 Papers, Creator of the Sketches venue at SIGGRAPH, Founding Editor of the Journal of Graphics Tools (now the open, online Journal of Computer Graphics Techniques), and Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Graphics. Glassner’s research work has resulted in six US and international patents. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

As a storyteller and director, Glassner wrote and directed the short animated film Chicken Crossing, which premiered at the SIGGRAPH ’96 Electronic Theatre and has been shown worldwide. He designed the highly participatory Internet game Dead Air for The Microsoft Network, where he wrote and directed the live-action pilot episode. He also wrote and directed several internal Microsoft videos. He wrote and directed the short film Making Memories.

Dr. Glassner wrote the book Processing for Visual Artists and Designers, and based on the book’s success, wrote and produced an 8-week online video class designed to help artists and designers make the leap from their imaginations to running, interactive computer graphics. The course, 2D Animation and Interaction, is offered online through The Imaginary Institute.

Glassner is now a full-time writer-director, an independent researcher in computer graphics, and a consultant in storytelling and computer graphics to research institutions and the computer game and online entertainment industries. He is a Voting Member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In his spare time, Andrew paints, plays jazz piano, and hikes.