Dr. Thomas Sederberg, associate dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, was honored with a 2014 Outstanding Mechanical Engineer alumnus award at Purdue University on November 7. This award recognizes Purdue alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their professions related to mechanical engineering and who have “shown outstanding character and leadership and have accomplished great things,” according to the website.
Sederberg received his PhD in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 1983. Following his doctoral work, he returned to BYU, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, to join the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
“I loved my experience as a student at BYU and I loved the faculty,” he said. “There is something special about BYU and I wanted to be a part of that.”
After spending thirteen years as a civil engineering professor, Sederberg realized that his research interests were more related to computer science and mathematics than civil engineering. “I asked the computer science department chair if it would be possible for me to become an adjunct member of the department so I could advise computer science students . . . and he came back and asked if I would be interested in becoming a full-time computer science professor,” Sederberg said. “It was a very fortuitous opportunity for me.”
Since 1996, Sederberg has been a professor in the Department of Computer Science where he researches computer graphics and computer-aided geometric design. In 2003 Sederberg invented a technology called T-splines that made the design of irregular free-form shapes easier and more mathematically sound. In 2004, he co-founded with his son a company called T-Splines, Inc. to commercialize his technology. The company was acquired by Autodesk, the world’s largest CAD company, and T-Splines is now widely used in Autodesk software.
Sederberg became the associate dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences in 2005. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Steven V. White University Professorship, the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer award, the Computer Graphics Achievement Award, and the Pierre Bezier Prize.
Reflecting upon his most recent award from Purdue University, Sederberg is grateful for the strong education in research he received while pursuing his doctorate at Purdue.
“One of the most important lessons I learned was how to be an independent researcher and how to identify important problems,” he said. “I had a lot of freedom as a student to find and pursue my own research interests, and, having successfully gone through the experience, I came away with a deep self-confidence.”
Read BYU’s article here.