Etienne VougaView profile
Associate Professor
Etienne Vouga is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES) at the University of Texas at Austin. His interdisciplinary research spans physical simulation, geometry processing, and computer graphics, with applications ranging from special effects in films like The Hobbit and Tangled to Artec's Shapify 3D portrait service. Education: PhD from Columbia Computer Graphics Group Postdoctoral research at Harvard SEAS Professor Vouga's research focuses on physical simulation of thin, elastic materials like cloth, hair, and paper, as they deform and collide. He has made significant contributions to discrete differential geometry, developing algorithms that better understand how geometric properties affect physical behavior of deformable objects. His work bridges computer graphics, computational mechanics, and scientific computing, with applications in special effects, 3D printing, architectural design, and biological modeling. He has pioneered approaches in inverse problems where desired outcomes drive the design process rather than simply simulating physical phenomena. Award Highlights: Best Paper Award at GECCO (2017) for Evolutionary Decomposition for 3D Printing Professor Vouga teaches Computer Graphics: Honors (CS 378H/CS 384G) and Physical Simulation (CS 395T) graduate courses every spring semester. He also serves as head coach of UT's competitive programming teams. His research group has developed several important software tools including Discrete Shell Code for shell simulation and Asynchronous Contact Mechanics Code for robust collision handling. While he is not actively expanding his research group significantly, he remains open to working with exceptional graduate students whose research interests align closely with his work in physical simulation and geometry processing.









