NATASHA KHOLGADEnkholgad@cs.cmu.edu

www.cs.cmu.edu/~nkholgad

CAMPUS ADDRESS216 Smith Hall5000 Forbes AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15213

PERMANENT ADDRESS5944 Alder Street, Apt 301Pittsburgh, PA 15232

EDUCATIONPh.D. IN ROBOTICS, Expected May 2014Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PAGPA: 4.0, Research advisor: Yaser SheikhM.S. IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING, July 2009Department of Computer Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NYGPA: 3.978, Research Advisor: Andreas SavakisM.S. Thesis: Recognition of Human Activities and Expressions in Video Sequences usingShape Context Descriptor.B.S. IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING, July 2009Department of Computer Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NYGPA: 3.978, Highest Honors/Honors Program

RESEARCH INTERESTSMy research lies at the intersection of computer graphics and computer vision. I am interested in the extraction,manipulation, and editing of three-dimensional information in photographs.

PUBLICATIONSNatasha Kholgade, Tomas Simon, Alexei Efros, and Yaser Sheikh (2014). 3D Object Manipulation in a Single Photo-graph using Stock 3D Models. ACM Transactions on Computer Graphics, 33(4).

Natasha Kholgade, Iain Matthews, and Yaser Sheikh (2011). Content Retargeting Using Parameter-Parallel FacialLayers. Symposium on Computer Animation, 195-204.

Natasha Kholgade and Andreas Savakis (2009). Human Activity Recognition Using the 4D Spatiotemporal ShapeContext Descriptor. ISVC, 2, pp. 357-366.

PROJECT WORK3D OBJECT MANIPULATION IN A SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH

Realistically manipulated objects in single photographs in 3D for applica-tions such as furniture rearrangement, dynamic compositions, and anima-tions from a single photograph. We use 3D models to seamlessly revealunseen parts of objects, and correct the geometry, appearance, and illu-mination of the 3D models to match object parts that are visible in thephotograph.

CONTENT RETARGETING USING PARAMETER-PARALLEL FACIAL LAYERS

Used the content of an actor’s facial expression to automate the anima-tion a variety of characters through motion retargeting. Deconstructed theactor’s expression into emotion, speech, and blink layers, and transferredthe content, in terms of basis coefficients and layer weights, to parameter-parallel layers.

HUMAN ACTIVITY RECOGNITION WITH THE SPATIOTEMPORAL SHAPE CONTEXT

Developed the spatiotemporal shape context descriptor by accounting for the time variationof the activity on a frame-by-frame basis. Showed improve classification of activities overthe regular shape context descriptor.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCEGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTRobotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Aug 2009-PresentCurrently perform research in computer graphics on manipulating photographed objects in three dimensions. Re-search spans developing representations for the geometry, illumination, and appearance of objects in 3D from a singlephotograph. Prior research includes retargeting facial animation from an actor to characters.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTComputer Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY June 2007-Aug 2009Performed research on recognition of activities for the purpose of displaying advertising content based on gestures.Developed the four-dimensional spatiotemporal shape context to classify a variety of actions.

TEACHING EXPERIENCETEACHING ASSISTANT, Computational PhotographyRobotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PASep 2011-Dec 2011Conducted recitations for MATLAB and exam review, assisted students with issues on assignments, set up assignmenton pinhole camera, and graded assignments, midterm exam, and final project. Class taught by Alexei Efros.

STUDENT TUTORKGCOE Student Services, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NYSep 2007-Feb 2008Actively assisted students with problems in class assignments or exam preparations for courses in computer engineering,calculus, physics, and computer science.

INTERNSHIPSRESEARCH INTERNDisney Research, Pittsburgh, PAJun 2013-Aug 2013Performed research on predicting environment maps from low dynamic range outdoor images by leveraging a largedataset of high dynamic range (HDR) images of the sky. Collected HDR sky images at various times of the day overa period of nine months spanning sunny and cloudy sky conditions.

RESEARCH INTERNPixar Animation Studios, Emeryville, CAJun 2011-Aug 2011Analyzed animator control of secondary motion of characters’ flesh given primary motions of walking and running.

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INTERNCarestream Health, Rochester, NYJun 2008-Aug 2008Developed the framework for management of medical files in C++ and C#. Wrote software to create interactivegraphs for enhancing the visualization of data.

ACTIVITIES AND AWARDSGoogle Anita Borg Scholarship, 2012 (finalist).Publicity Chair, Robotics Institute Seminar, CMU, 2009-2011.Outstanding Undergraduate Award Medal, RIT, 2008.Secretary, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society, RIT, 2008-2009.Norman E. Miles Scholarship for Highest Ranking Junior, RIT, 2007.

PATENTSNatasha Kholgade, Iain Matthews, and Yaser Sheikh (pending). Content Retargeting Using Parameter-Parallel FacialLayers. Docket No. 11-DIS-308-PR-US-UTL.

Natasha Kholgade, Tomas Simon, Alexei Efros, and Yaser Sheikh (filed provisional). 3D Object Manipulation in aSingle Photograph using Stock 3D Models. Filing reference 2014-184.