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Savannah Niles

Savannah Niles

Dallas, TX, US

 

About 

Artist-Researcher based in Dallas, Texas.

Employment 

Walt Disney Imagineering, Los Angeles, CA, US, Tech Intern-- Research and Development

--Wrote internal web and data visualization applications used within the company.
--Developed interactive visualization software that was eventually used in initial mock-ups for Fantasyland’s Seven Dwarves Mine Train in Orlando.
--Prototyped software designed to illustrate budget and labor distributions across projects and project teams by pulling payroll data from finance records.

May 2012 - Aug 2012
 

Center for Creative Computing, Dallas, TX, US, Undergraduate Research Fellow

• Built a 3D laser scanner utilizing original software programmed in Arduino and Processing.
• Designed visualizations of mathematical and biological models using Java/Processing. Awarded honors distinction by the University Honors Program.

Jan 2010 - Dec 2011
 

Breakthrough Collaborative, AmeriCorps, Austin, TX, US, Teacher

• Worked as a full-time Biology teacher to high-potential, at-risk ninth-graders. Wrote curriculum and lesson plans to teach eleven classes a week.
• Served on the Faculty Support Committee.
• A Princeton Review Top-10 Internship.

Jun 2011 - Aug 2011
 

Meadows Museum of Spanish Art, Dallas, TX, US, Docent

• Conducted workshops and tours to engage guests with the museum collections.
• Chosen by the Meadows Museum to present a public lecture on independent research titled
“Sculpture on the Plaza and the Unintended Effects of Place”, as a part of the Spring Lecture Series.
• Presented a lecture on Anthonis Mor’s Portrait of Alessandro Farnese to museum faculty.

Jan 2010 - Jan 2011
 

Education 

Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, US, Bachelors, Meadows School of the Arts, Lyle School of Engineering

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art with studies in Sculpture, with Honors
Bachelor of Arts, Creative Computation, Computer Science minor, with Honors

Cumulative GPA: 3.96
Graduation: May 2013

Aug 2009 - current
 

Awards 

Big iDeas Award, Grant

The highest service-learning grant award at SMU.

2012
 

Award for Excellence in the Art Division, Meadows School of the Arts, SMU, Award

2011
 

Award for Scholastic Achievement and Community Service, SMU, Award

2011
 

National Merit Scholar, Scholarship

Nationally distinguished for scoring in the top 1% on the PSAT.

2009
 

University Honors Program, Other

Invited to take honors coursework in the Liberal Arts.

2009
 

SMU President’s Scholar, Scholarship

Awarded a four-year, full-tuition, merit-based scholarship.

2009
 

Areas of Specialization 

Skills