Autodesk today announced that Jos Stam, principal scientist at Autodesk, was honored with a Technical Achievement Award (Academy certificate) by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The award acknowledges Stam's research on subdivision surfaces and contributions to the motion picture industry. Stam accepted the award at a ceremony held Saturday, February 18 in Beverly Hills, California. Technical Achievement Awards are granted to individuals who have developed solutions with a proven track record in the film industry. "Autodesk applauds Jos Stam for his contributions to the field of computer graphics. He joins a highly respected group of Academy Award winners," said Martin Vann, vice president of Autodesk's Media & Entertainment Division. "Jos has committed his career to advancing the science of computer graphics, helping the motion picture industry induce a sense of realism -- a suspension of disbelief -- for moviegoers everywhere." Subdivision surfaces is a modeling technology, based on algorithmic theory, that is essential for many types of motion picture computer graphics. It enables animators to smooth surfaces and create shapes with a sequence of successively refined polyhedral meshes. The theory originated in 1978 with initial concept development by award co-recipient Ed Catmull. Stam and award co-recipient Tony DeRose were key contributors to the evolution of subdivision surfaces. They made the technology practical, resulting in the ability to create more advanced virtual buildings, lifelike characters and realistic computer-generated garments. Stam's work has since been implemented into the Autodesk Maya product line and documented in numerous published journals and conference papers. Jos Stam received dual Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science and pure mathematics from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. While completing a master's and a doctorate degree in computer science at the University of Toronto, Stam worked at Alias to advance particle systems for PowerAnimator software. Upon graduation in 1995, Stam completed post-doctoral studies before returning to Alias in 1997. At SIGGRAPH 2005, as Alias senior research scientist, Stam was presented with the 2005 Computer Graphics Achievement Award. This honor recognized Stam's influence and groundbreaking work on subdivision surfaces and fast algorithms for the simulation of natural phenomena, especially fire, fluids and gases. Alias was acquired by Autodesk on January 10, 2006. Stam is principal scientist for Autodesk's Media & Entertainment Division.