Steve Marschner

Steve Marschner is a Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University and Director of Graduate Studies for the Computer Science department. He is also a part-time Distinguished Graphics Researcher at NVIDIA Research. His research focuses on computer graphics and vision, particularly on how optics and mechanics determine the appearance of materials.

Marschner received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell University in 1998. His thesis was titled "Inverse Rendering for Computer Graphics" and was advised by Donald P. Greenberg, Charles Van Loan, and Leonard Gross. He also holds a Sc.B. in Mathematics-Computer Science from Brown University (1993).

His research spans realistic rendering, material models (both optical and mechanical), appearance capture, simulation, and computational photography. Marschner's work addresses fundamental questions about how to make objects appear to be made from specific materials and how to use cameras to measure information needed for creating realistic images. His research has applications in film production, virtual reality, and manufacturing.

Marschner's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on advanced rendering techniques, particularly in differentiable rendering, wave optics, and the appearance modeling of complex materials like hair, fur, and woven fabrics. His work increasingly integrates machine learning approaches with traditional graphics techniques, while maintaining a strong foundation in physical optics and material science.

Marschner has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to computer graphics:

• ACM Fellow (2021)
• SIGGRAPH Academy member (2018)
• SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Achievement Award (2015)
• Sloan Research Fellowship (2006)
• NSF CAREER Award (2004-2009)
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Technical Achievement Award (2003)

Marschner has advised numerous Ph.D. and Master's students, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Autodesk, Google, and Adobe. He has served in leadership roles for major conferences including as Technical Papers Chair for SIGGRAPH Asia 2015 and Papers Committee Member for multiple SIGGRAPH conferences.

His work is conducted through the Program of Computer Graphics at Cornell University, where he collaborates with researchers working on various aspects of computer graphics, vision, and appearance modeling. Marschner also maintains a strong industry connection through his part-time role at NVIDIA Research, focusing on real-time graphics applications.