I am a PhD. candidate at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, where I work as a researcher and instructor. I received my BSc. and MSc. in Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2005 and 2007 respectively. My current interests are focused on computer graphics, non-photorealistic rendering, game design, development, and game-based learning.

 

 

Select Research

 

Bee Prepared: Simulating Bee Vision in an Educational Game

 

Much can be learned about an animal species' behavior by studying its visual system. However, it is challenging to convey such a fundamentally visual concept in plain text---a format that is still commonly used in zoos, museums, and classrooms---and is unlikely to appeal to young observers, in partiuclar. Recent advances in computer graphics hardware and techniques enable us to simulate animal visual systems in realtime, allowing a user to explore the world from 'behind the eyes' of the species in question. We have developed a simulation of bee vision based on neuroscience and biology research using a difference-based methodology that emphasizes the key differences between the human and bee visual systems. By integrating the simulation into a serious game, we are able to enhance the simulation's impact, while at the same time engaging users in an entertaining and memorable experience. We conducted a user study to evaluate the impact of our educational game, and found that it was successful in stimulating a significant increase in knowledge regarding bee vision.

 

Dendritic Stylization

 

Dendritic or branching structures are commonly seen in natural phenomena such as lightning, cracks, and vegetal growth. They are also often used for artistic or decorative purposes. We present a new procedural method for modeling dendritic structures based on a path planning approach. Our method includes the use of a partial non-scalar distance metric that gives us powerful and responsive control over the evolving dendritic structure. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by creating dendritic stylizations of input images. We also show how our approach can be used to model more complex dendritic structures, such as trees; our algorithm allows us to create pareidolia effects, where an image is embedded within the branches of the tree.

 

Outreach Activities

 

I am a passionate advocate for computer science, and have participated in several outreach activities within the community. I led high school tour groups through my lab to show them the research being done in graphica and games at the University of Victoria. I have also assisted with Mini-U, which is a program for aboriginal high school students from remote communities around British Columbia. This past year, I was invited to take part in the Indigenous Adult Orientation, which included an orientation session for adult students returning to school after a hiatus.

 

During my studies at the University of Saskatchewan, I participated in the Let's Talk Science! program, which involved visiting high school classrooms to discuss computer science, and demonstrate my research. I was also involved with Digitized, a one-day conference for high school students considering careers in information technology.