Presenter

Cheryl Briggs is a Professor and Motion Capture Engineer at the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at the University of Central Florida. A founding faculty member of UCF's Character Animation and Animation & Visual Effects programs, she has more than 30 years of experience teaching animation, game development, and interactive media across K–12 and higher education. Prior to joining UCF in 2009, she taught animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she also served as Motion Capture Engineer.

Cheryl is an active leader within the ACM SIGGRAPH community, serving on the ACM SIGGRAPH Education Committee, where she contributes to conference programming, educational initiatives, and community engagement. She supports the committee's annual Education Committee Soirée and produces its recap videos, and has presented multiple sessions at SIGGRAPH on animation education, motion capture, and innovative teaching practices. She has also led community discussions on accessibility and neurodiversity through conference panels and Birds of a Feather sessions and is currently leading the proposal to establish a Neurodiversity Affinity Group within ACM SIGGRAPH to foster year-round networking, advocacy, and support for neurodivergent students and professionals in computer graphics and interactive techniques.

Cheryl is the author of several books on animation and Autodesk Maya and has been an Autodesk Certified Professional and Autodesk Certified Instructor since 2005. An award-winning animation producer, director, and motion capture specialist, she is passionate about building inclusive learning environments and preparing students for successful careers in the film, animation, game, and immersive media industries. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Animation Hall of Fame and is an active member of the Visual Effects Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, Women in Animation, and the Society for Animation Studies. Through her work with ACM SIGGRAPH, Cheryl is committed to advancing education, fostering inclusive communities, and strengthening connections between academia and industry.