Timothy Patrick Steele

Timothy Patrick Steele is a Professor of Visual Effects at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) since March 2014. He specializes in teaching industry-standard software packages such as Maya and Houdini, with a focus on cloth and hair simulation for film production. He advises the Digital Media Club and Siggraph Club, fostering student engagement in visual effects.

Education: B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of South Carolina, and graduate coursework in Digital Production Arts at Clemson University.

Research and professional experience include roles at DreamWorks Animation (2009–2014) and Rhythm & Hues Studios (2007–2009). At DreamWorks, he contributed to How to Train Your Dragon 2 as a character effects artist, developing real-time cloth and rigid solvers. At Rhythm & Hues, he led technical animation teams for films like Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 and Night at the Museum 2, managing pipelines for hair and cloth simulations and training animators.

Technical expertise includes tool development (e.g., PyQt tools for muscle systems, volumetric simulation tools), rigging, and R&D for effects like ragdoll physics and sonic wave simulations.