James D. Foley (1942 – ) is a leading expert in computer graphics. Along with fellow pioneer Andy van Dam, and later with Steven Feiner and John Hughes, Foley co-authored several fundamental texts on computer graphics. In 1991, he founded Georgia Tech’s GVU Center (previously the Graphics, Visualization and Usability Center), which in five years became the nation’s leading graduate research institute in the fields of HCI, information visualization, mixed/augmented reality, wearable computing, educational technologies, online communities, and computer graphics.
Foley was elected to the SIGCHI Academy in 2001 and was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. He is a Fellow of AAAS, ACM, and IEEE, as well as a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Foley received the ACM SIGGRAPH Steven Anson Coons Award for Outstanding Creative Contributions to Computer Graphics in 1997.
“Jim’s early book on ‘Computer Graphics’ with Andy Van Dam is one of the true classics that guided many young researchers to understand the user interface aspects of graphics. Jim was an early partner in shaping the Software Psychology Society (1976-1996) that promoted HCI in the Washington, DC area and nationally. Jim’s been a trusted and valued colleague, who gave generously to his students and to professional groups, such as the Computing Research Association, while always expanding his elaborate model train installation.” – Ben Shneiderman
Education:
- Ph.D. in Computer, Information, and Control Engineering; University of Michigan (1969)
- M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan (1965)
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Lehigh University (1964)
Affiliations:
- Professor, Stephen Fleming Chair in Telecommunications, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology (2000 – Present)
- Director MS-HCI, Georgia Tech (2011 – 2014)
- Executive Director later CEO, Yamacraw Economic Development Initiative (1999 – 2000)
- President, Mitsubishi Information Technology America (1997 – 1999)
- Director, Mitsubishi Electrical Research Laboratories (1996 – 1997)
- GVU Center founding director, Georgia Tech (1991 – 1996)
- President, Computer Graphics Consultants (1983 – 1995)
- Professor later Chairman, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, George Washington University (1977 – 1990)
- Computer Systems Analyst, Bureau of the Census (1976 – 1977)
- Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina (1970 – 1976)
- Guest Professor, Technische Universität Berlin (1972)
- Real-time Systems Group Manager, Information Control Systems (1969 – 1970)
Links:
Encounters with HCI Pioneers - A Personal Photo Journal 