Debra Lowman
Oak Park, Illinois 60304
(708) 445-9673
lowman@evl.eecs.uic.edu
http://evlweb.eecs.uic.edu/lowman
Summary: Artist & animator with proven ability to meet tight deadlines in a production environment. Comfortable working alone or as part of a team. Strong in 3D modeling, animation, designing virtual reality environments.
Education: Master of Fine Arts
Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago
Master of Fine Arts degree received July 1996
MFA Thesis Exhibition showcased:
  • "A Small Comfort", a computer generated short feature. Models were created with Softimage and C/GL programming, and animated in Softimage. Edited on Betacam SP. "A Small Comfort" is the story of an imprisoned woman, a stalking cat, and a curious creature on a surreal, alien world.
  • "ORGWORLD", a work for EVL's Immersadesk, a drafting table format projection based virtual reality (VR) display. Programmed in C and GL, "ORGWORLD" contained several environments inhabited by creatures exhibiting distinct behaviors and personalities.
Bachelor of Fine Arts
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree received cum laude January 1989.
Concentration: Computer Graphics
Experience: Research Assistant
Electronic Visualization Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago
September 1995 - July 1996
Worked with businesses to encourage the use of VR technology in design and manufacturing. Projects included:
  • Collaborating with Space Management Programs on a VR walkthrough of the proposed redesign of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
  • A VRML application with NCSA for Caterpillar featuring a 3D front loader.
  • Demonstrations of EVL's VR displays to clients and visitors.
Teaching Assistant
School of Art and Design, University of Illinois at Chicago
January 1994 - May 1995
Teaching and Lab Assistant for Intro to Computer Graphics. Maintained equipment, assisted students with projects, wrote and administered quizzes, taught classes in teacher's absence.

Computer Artist/Animator
Data East Pinball, Melrose Park, Illinois
Summer 1994
Created backgrounds and graphics, retouched and colorized digitized characters, composited characters with backgrounds for video games.

Freelance Computer Artist
WMX Technologies, Oak Brook, Illinois
September 1993 - August 1995
Designed and created images on computer workstation to be used for business presentations, posters, and brochures.

Computer Graphics Specialist
Visual Presentations, Inc., Bedford, Massachusetts
April 1989 - June 1993
Managed and coordinated multiple projects with tight deadlines. Met with clients to determine their needs, designed and created images on computer workstation for use in business presentations, posters, brochures, video and advertisements.

Skills: Animation/Modeling: 2 years Softimage experience
Programming Languages: C, Open GL, SGI/GL, HTML, VRML
Operating Systems: Silicon Graphics IRIX, Macintosh, MS-DOS, Windows
Packages: Photoshop, DeBabelizer, Deluxe Paint, Showcase
Video: Full broadcast quality video production and post production.
Film: 16mm experience doing animation on Oxberry
Professional Activities: Student Volunteer
Supercomputing 95, CAVE and Immersadesk exhibition

Student Volunteer
SIGGRAPH 94, VROOM exhibition

Personal: Gardening, hiking, swimming, mystery novels, Tetris, sumo wrestling (as a spectator)
References and demo reel available upon request.