Theodore Kim

Ted Kim co-leads the Yale Computer Graphics Group, alongside professors Julie Dorsey and Holly Rushmeier. Kim researches topics in physics-based simulation, including fire, water, and humans. His work has appeared in over two dozen movies and received a 2012 SciTech Oscar. Previously, Kim was a senior research scientist at Pixar Research, where he received screen credits in Cars 3, Coco, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4. His first work appeared on screen for the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Kim received a BS in Computer Science in 2001 from Cornell and a PhD in Computer Science from UNC Chapel Hill in 2006 under the supervision of Ming Lin. He served as a post-doctoral fellow at IBM TJ Watson Research Center in 2007, and a post-doctoral associate at Cornell University from 2008 to 2009 under the supervision of Doug James. From 2011 to 2015, Kim was a faculty member at UCSB in the Media Arts and Technology Program and the Department of Computer Science. While there, Kim received the UCSB Harold J. Plous Award (Junior Faculty of the Year). From 2009 to 2011, Kim was an Assistant Professor in computer science at the University of Saskatchewan. Kim interned for Rhythm and Hues Studios in 2001 and 2002.