David Kirk (scientist)
Encyclopedia
Dr David Kirk Ph.D. is Nvidia
's Chief Scientist.
From June 1996 to January 1997, Dr. Kirk was a software and technical management consultant. From 1993 to 1996, Dr. Kirk was Chief Scientist and Head of Technology for Crystal Dynamics
, a video game manufacturing company.
From 1989 to 1991, Dr. Kirk was an engineer for Apollo Systems Division of Hewlett-Packard
. Dr. Kirk holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science
from the California Institute of Technology
.
In 2002, Kirk received the ACM SIGGRAPH
Computer Graphics Achievement Award for his significant contributions to bringing high performance graphics hardware to the mass market. After about 10 years being responsible for defining the vision and orientation of the Santa Clara
company, Dr. Kirk was lastly, on February 24, 2006 elected to National Academy of Engineering
. Dr. Kirk is the inventor of 50 patents and patent applications relating to graphics design and underlying graphics algorithms. He also authored widely read computer graphics books.
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
's Chief Scientist.
From June 1996 to January 1997, Dr. Kirk was a software and technical management consultant. From 1993 to 1996, Dr. Kirk was Chief Scientist and Head of Technology for Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics is an American video game developer based in the San Francisco Bay Area and founded in 1992 by Judy Lang, Madaline Canepa and Dave Morris...
, a video game manufacturing company.
From 1989 to 1991, Dr. Kirk was an engineer for Apollo Systems Division of Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
. Dr. Kirk holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
.
In 2002, Kirk received the ACM SIGGRAPH
ACM SIGGRAPH
ACM SIGGRAPH is the New York–based Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. It was founded in 1969 by Andy van Dam ....
Computer Graphics Achievement Award for his significant contributions to bringing high performance graphics hardware to the mass market. After about 10 years being responsible for defining the vision and orientation of the Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
company, Dr. Kirk was lastly, on February 24, 2006 elected to National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. Dr. Kirk is the inventor of 50 patents and patent applications relating to graphics design and underlying graphics algorithms. He also authored widely read computer graphics books.