GRAND Network strengthened by addition of new members to the Research Management Committee
GRAND NCE is pleased to announce the appointment of five new members to the Research Management Committee (RMC), bringing the total number on the committee to 14.
Posted by GRAND NCE, December 15, 2010

Vancouver, BC (December 12, 2010) - GRAND NCE is pleased to announce the appointment of five new members to the Research Management Committee (RMC),  bringing the total number on the committee to 14. 

From L to R: New Members and Chair of the RMC
B. Harrison, D. Szafron, E. Churchill
G. Karam, G. Kurtenbach (RMC Chair), J. Della Rocca

Chaired by Dr. Gord Kurtenbach, Director of Research, Autodesk, the RMC plays a crucial role in providing scientific leadership to and research assessment of the GRAND network.  The recent additions to the RMC are:

•    Elizabeth Churchill, Principal Research Scientist and Manager, Internet Experiences Group, Yahoo! Research
•    Jason Della Rocca, Founder & Senior Consultant, Perimeter Partners
•    Beverly Harrison, Senior Scientist, Intel Labs
•    Gerald Karam, Technology Consultant, Innovative Services Research Department, AT&T Labs-Research
•    Duane Szafron, Theme Leader (GamSim), GRAND & Professor, University of Alberta.  Szafron replaces former Theme Leader Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer, University of Alberta, whose contributions have been greatly appreciated.

They are joining RMC members: Kellogg Booth, GRAND; Jeremy Cooperstock, McGill University; Vic DiCiccio, University of Waterloo; Abby Goodrum, Ryerson University; Wolfgang Heidrich, University of British Columbia; Catherine Middleton, Ryerson University; Samuel Trosow, University of Western Ontario; and Rob Woodbury, Simon Fraser University.  For a list of GRAND's Research Management Committee, click here.

“GRAND’s Research Management Committee represents an exceptional mix of leading edge professionals in academe, research and industry”, explained Dr. Gord Kurtenbach, Chair, Research Management Committee, GRAND and Director of Research, Autodesk. “The experience they bring to the table will bring a unique perspective to the RMC that fits well with the overarching, multi-disciplinary vision for GRAND.”

Members of the RMC are strategic thinkers, innovators and pioneers in the field of digital media. As consultants, researchers, academics and entrepreneurs, their areas of expertise includes the game industry, human computer interaction, user interface, collaborative digital tools, bioinformatics, software systems and artificial intelligence.

The RMC has the primary responsibility for overseeing GRAND’s research program. Committee members periodically review project portfolios, recommend funding allocation and select the appropriate set of network investigators to carry out the research.

GRAND is a federally funded research network and commercialization engine exploring the application and advancement of graphics, animation and new media. GRAND supports more than 30 projects involving over 120 principal and collaborating researchers at 24 member universities across Canada.  grand-nce.ca

- 30 -