Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann receives the Eurographics Distinguished Career Award 2010 for her interdisciplinary research in the fields of Computer Graphics, Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds, for her establishment of MIRALab as a leading and proliferate research lab in Europe, and for the impact of her work on the synergy between art, fashion and computer graphics.
After having obtained several degrees in Psychology, Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science, Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann got her PhD in Quantum Physics from the University of Geneva. Between 1977 and 1987, she was at University of Montreal where she became a full professor. In 1988 she moved back to Switzerland and founded MIRALab. Throughout these years, she published hundreds of papers, dozens of books, and organized numerous conferences. In recent years, she acts as the Editor-in-chief of two international journals published by Springer and by Wiley.
The research area of Magnenat-Thalmann is very wide-ranging including physics-based models for hair and clothes, soft tissues deformations for medical applications, Fashion Design, social robots and more.
Among her many scientific contributions, the works on virtual human simulations and dressing animated actors have gained wide recognition from various disciplines. Many of her works are regularly displayed in museums, galleries, and fashion shows, and she won several artistic awards included an Award from the Canadian Council of Art for her work on virtual Marilyn Monroe.
Prof. Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann has directed dozens of PhD theses, and several of her former PhD students have become Professors in renown institutes like the Indian Institute of Technology, the University of Zagreb, the University of Utrecht, the University of Ottawa, or KAIST in Korea.
Through her interdisciplinary vision and her widespread international activities, Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann has significantly advanced computer graphics research in Europe. Eurographics is pleased to recognize Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann with its 2010 Distinguished Career Award.