Name:
Judith R. Brown
Title:
Manager, Advanced Research Computing Services and Visualization, Information Technology Services, since 1992, The University of Iowa. Internet2 Project Manager, since 1998.
Company:
University of Iowa faculty
How I arrived at my present job (academic and other influences): My degrees were in mathematics, before there was a computer science program. I was hired by Collins Radio Company (now Rockwell Collins) as a scientific programmer in 1964. At that time, they hired people with degrees in science and math and trained them in programming. I also have always had an interest in the visual arts. This combination of math and art led me to an interest in computer graphics, which I learned on my own and through attending ACM SIGGRAPH conferences. My initial work in computer graphics led to work in scientific visualization, which is an important element in my current role as manaager of Advanced Research Computing Services. This includes high performance computing, high performance networks, visualization and virtual reality, including "tele-immersive" appliations for research and education.
How I organize my day: This varies from day to day. I try not to leave too many things hanging at the end of the day.
Amount of time spent working daily (at home and office): 8-10 hours, plus weekends. Being chair of SIGGRAPH takes 25% of my week day time, plus a lot of time on weekends.
What I do to get myself thinking creatively: I have to go home to work on something that requires creative thinking - work for a while, and take frequent walks. Better yet, is to take 2-4 days somewhere that doesn't have any distractions. I get a lot of good thinking done in airport Red Carpet club rooms while traveling, just because I'm not distracted by the routine work there.
My problem-solving strategy: Talk to a lot of people to get different viewpoints.
What I do to relieve stress: Walk, work out at health club, listen to music.
My hero, mentor, or person I most admire and why: Ed Catmull for what he accomplished in the field of computer graphics. Maxine Brown for her encouragement to me when I was starting to work in computer graphics.
What I do to mentor those who work for me: Try to make sure they have something interesting to work on and encourage them in the value of their contributions to our projects.
What values are the most important to me and what I value in others: Honesty, kindness, compassion, and passion.
What inspires, motivates, or gets me excited about my job on a daily basis: The vision of a potential interesting application of advanced visualization technology.
Biography: Professional Interests
Last Modified:
Location: www.acm.org/crossroads/dayinlife/bios/judith_r_brown.html