Kim Davidson

Canadian computer scientist and entrepreneur

Kim Davidson
Born	1955 (age 68–69)
Occupation	computer scientist
Known for	won two^{[citation needed]} technical Oscar awards

Kim Davidson is a Canadian computer scientist, and founder and CEO of Side Effects software.^[1] He founded the firm in 1987.

In 1998 the Academy of Motion Pictures awarded Davidson a technical Oscar, the Academy Award for Technical Achievement.^[1]^[2] Davidson would later win a second Oscar^{[citation needed]}.

In 1999, for a profile in Playback magazine Davidson, said he had been fascinated by the technical details of how animation worked since he was a child watching Saturday morning cartoons, like Magilla Gorilla.^[3] As a teenager Davidson had constructed his own small animation studio in his parents' home. Initially Davidson was planning to study animation at Sheridan College, but switched to the University of Waterloo's Architecture program—a field of study where he thought he could combine both his technical and artistic sides. However, after several years he added Computer Science, and graduated with a double major in both Architecture and Computer Science, in 1978.

In 1999 he became the fifth awardee of the J.W. Graham Medal, named in honor of Wes Graham an early influential Professor of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, and annually awarded to an influential alumnus of the University's Faculty of Mathematics.^[1]^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Kim Davidson: President and Chief Operating Officer, Side Effects Software Inc". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
^ "Kim Davidson". People behind the Pixels. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
^ Peter Vamos (1999-08-09). "Davidson animated about new project". Playback magazine. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
^ "Recipients of the J.W. Graham Medal in Computing & Innovation". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 2015-09-25.