Jose Luis Silva

Jose Luis Silva is a Professor of Animation at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) since 2004, concurrently serving as Senior Graduate Coordinator and Assessment Coordinator in the Animation Department. He holds an M.F.A. in Computer Art from SCAD and a B.A. in Graphic Design from Universidad del Bajio. His expertise spans animation preproduction, storyboarding, and cultural art integration into digital media.

His career includes faculty roles at Universidad Iberoamericana (1992–95) and Universidad de La Salle (1991–97) in Mexico. Silva is recognized for his awards in animation competitions, including first place at the Game Developers Conference (2010) and UNESCO’s Protect Our Cultural Heritage poster competition (1999). He has presented globally on animation education and techniques, emphasizing Latin American cultural heritage and narrative design.

• Key achievements: Over 20 years of academic leadership, 10+ international presentations, and 15+ awards/honors.
• Research focuses: Preproduction pipelines, cross-cultural animation pedagogy, and digital storytelling.

His work bridges traditional art forms with modern animation techniques, as seen in projects like Mexican Folk Art. Concept Development for Animation (2014) and his commissioned work for SCAD’s Jane Fonda tribute (2001).