Autodesk Research’s George Fitzmaurice named ACM Fellow

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Fellows Award honors the remarkable contributions of exceptional members in the computing field. These individuals have illuminated the path for researchers, developers, practitioners, and end users of information technology globally.

George Fitzmaurice, Research Fellow in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Visualization at Autodesk, was recently recognized this year as an ACM Fellow. As the globe’s premier educational and scientific computing society, educators, researchers, and professionals come together to foster dialogue, pool resources, and tackle the challenges in the computing field.

New ACM Fellows like Fitzmaurice join an esteemed roster of colleagues, such as Jeffrey Dean (Chief Scientist, Google DeepMind and Google Research), Edouard Bugnion (Founder VMware & VP Research at EPFL), Edward A. Feigenbaum (Nobel Laureate), among others, who serve as trailblazers and leaders in computing and information technology.

Alongside his colleagues, Fitzmaurice has co-authored and published over 120 research papers and earned over 95 patents with more in development. His research over the past quarter-century has centered on technology-assisted learning systems, knowledge capture and retrieval, highly interactive visualization systems, AR/VR, and cutting-edge input and interaction techniques. His remarkable contributions to the field include the Maya 1.0 UI, SketchBook Pro UI design, the 3D Navigation tools (ViewCube™ and SteeringWheels™), Autodesk Screencast and Sketchbook Motion (which was awarded Apple iPad App of the Year for 2016). Today, George and his team are exploring the potential impact of generative AI’s large language models and multi-modal systems on the field of HCI and the software user experience.

Fitzmaurice completed his B.Sc. in Mathematics with Computer Science at MIT, his M.Sc. in Computer Science at Brown University, and his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He is credited with establishing the field of Graspable UIs, a precursor to Tangible UIs, and introduced the concept of spatially-aware displays and situated information spaces with the Chameleon research project. In 2019, he was inducted into the ACM CHI Academy for his significant contributions to the field of HCI.

“I’m honored to be named an ACM Fellow,” shared Fitzmaurice. “This recognition also places a spotlight on Autodesk and Autodesk Research as a top-tier industrial research lab, drawing attention to all the great work that is happening here.”

“An ACM Fellowship is an award that recognizes when an individual has fundamentally advanced computing and actively promoted the free exchange of ideas and, as such, it is often hard to achieve from within an industrial research organization,” adds Daron Green, Chief Scientist at Autodesk Research. “During my time in Microsoft Research, and while at Facebook, we celebrated when our researchers gained this level of recognition from the premier association for Computer Science. I am therefore delighted for George, for the Research organization and for Autodesk that his achievements have been recognized and that, in a small way, Autodesk’s approach to research, our willingness to share insights through scientific publications and our embrace of active research collaborations is valued by the entire Computer Science community.”

Mike Haley, SVP of Autodesk Research says, “George’s recognition as an ACM Fellow is a remarkable achievement. This honor represents a significant milestone, and not only a testament to his individual achievement but also a monumental accomplishment for Autodesk and Autodesk Research, positioning us as a frontrunner in the field of Computer Science. It underscores our commitment to innovation, the advancement of computing, and our dedication to the free exchange of knowledge, raising Autodesk’s profile in the scientific community.”

The full list of honorees lauded for their work in advances to AI, graphics, software, and more, can be found here.