Ricardo Figueroa

Ricardo Figueroa is the School Director of the School of Film and Animation at the College of Art and Design, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he also holds the distinguished title of John Traver Endowed Professor. He earned his Ph.D. in Computing and Information Sciences from RIT, with prior degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.

His research expertise lies at the intersection of engineering and motion picture science, with a focus on imaging systems, radiometric calibration, electronic image noise, and digital cinema workflows. His work bridges technical precision with creative application, emphasizing the scientific foundations of visual media.

The recent publications and his U.S. patent highlight a consistent trajectory in advancing imaging technology for motion pictures, particularly in calibration and encoding. His research integrates statistical methods like Bayesian inference and explores neural networks for motion capture correction, indicating a forward-looking, interdisciplinary approach.

• SMPTE Fellow, 2020

Ricardo actively mentors students through senior projects and graduate theses, teaching core courses such as Introduction to Imaging and Video Systems, Film Projection and Digital Cinema, and Senior Project sequences. He also oversees independent studies and thesis research. His leadership has fostered industry partnerships, such as with The Dolby Institute, enhancing experiential learning. He supervises student projects in areas like latency perception and rotoscope automation, often leading to publications and real-world applications.

He leads the School of Film and Animation, shaping curriculum and research direction, and promoting an interdisciplinary culture where technology and art converge. His lab and team activities are reflected in student capstone projects involving neural networks, deep learning, and digital imaging, supported by industry collaborations and professional society engagement like SMPTE.