Faculty
Professor Richard Zhang inducted into prestigious SIGGRAPH Academy
School of Computing Science Professor Richard Zhang was recently inducted into the Association for Computing Machinery’s SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) Academy.
The prestigious academy is a leading international community of individuals who have made substantial contributions to the field of computer graphics. These are principal leaders whose work has shaped the field and driven research and innovation in computer graphics and interactive techniques.
Zhang was recognized for his pioneering technical contributions in spectral and learning-based methods for geometric modeling. His expertise and research accomplishments have solidified his position as an innovator and leader in the discipline.
“I feel older whenever moments like this happen, but I'm truly honored to join such an elite group", says Zhang. "I'm happy to be the first Academy member recognized for contributions that highlight the importance of machine learning and AI in computer graphics.
Several of this year’s SIGGRAPH awardees are also celebrated for their work in this dynamic field, which, according to Zhang, "brings both high pressure and strong motivation for me and my research group moving forward.”
At SFU, Zhang directs the Graphics U Vision (GrUVi) Lab, one of the top research hubs in the world for computer graphics and computer vision. His research interests include geometric modeling, shape analysis, 3D vision, geometric deep learning, and computational design and fabrication.
He has published more than 180 papers on these topics, including over 70 articles in SIGGRAPH (and SIGGRAPH Asia) and ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG). His research has been sponsored by Adobe, Autodesk, Boeing, Google, Huawei, MITACS, and NSERC.
Zhang is excited about topics such as spatial intelligence, physical AI, and improving current large foundational models so they can effectively operate in the physical world, going beyond tasks like question answering and generating images and videos from text. Looking ahead, he aims to pursue his interest in solving real-world problems that involve action and creation.
This latest recognition adds to Zhang’s long list of impressive achievements. He was elected an IEEE Fellow in 2024 for his work in shape analysis and synthesis in visual computing and served as an Amazon Scholar from 2021 to 2025. Additionally, he was honoured with the SFU Distinguished Professorship.
Zhang's academic accomplishments have not been realized in isolation. He acknowleges the guidance and support of mentors who have been instrumental in shaping his journey in academia. Among them is his colleague, professor Eugene Fiume, Dean of the SFU Faculty of Applied Sciences.
"I'm deeply grateful to Eugene who guided me through my PhD career." "Eugene, an Academy member himself, may have the most PhD students to receive major awards at SIGGRAPH awards—the premier venue in computer graphics. This year, a third student of his has won the SIGGRAPH Achievement Award, a testament to his outstanding mentorship, Zhang remarks"
The ACM SIGGRAPH community is a global nonprofit organization serving the evolution of computer graphics and interactive techniques. With thousands of members across the world, the researchers, artists, developers, filmmakers, scientists, and business professionals of ACM SIGGRAPH are building the future of digital art and interactive design.