GRACE
KUMAGAI
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
GRAPHICS . COMPUTER SCIENCE . LEADERSHIP
Hello! I'm Grace Kumagai, a Software Engineer with experience on the research and development teams at Pixar Animation Studios and Blue Sky Studios.
I am a Canadian citizen and a graduate of the University of Toronto's Engineering Science program.
Across my work in animated film production, I develop scalable tools and pipelines that empower artists to focus on creativity and improve efficiency across production workflows. My experience spans USD-based pipelines, custom plugin development, and a growing interest in real-time and interactive applications.
At Pixar, I supported the Sets department by developing and maintaining production tools and workflows, including integrating a Houdini-based vegetation toolkit into the asset pipeline and evaluating USD adoption in Maya (maya-usd). I also co-led Pixar's Women in Technology Employee Resource Group and developed mentorship, outreach, and community-building initiatives.
Prior to Pixar, I was a Lead Software Engineer at Blue Sky Studios, where I designed and integrated tools and workflows for the Layout and Stereo departments, supporting the transition to USD and a version-controlled pipeline.
Before my work as a lead, I supported the Animation and Rigging departments by contributing to Maya plugins for applying and managing animation curves, and by collaborating with Rigging to design a wire-driven deformer for facial and spine rigs.
Before my work as a lead, I supported the Animation and Rigging departments by contributing to Maya plugins for applying and managing animation curves, and by collaborating with Rigging to design a wire-driven deformer for facial and spine rigs.
During my undergraduate studies, I developed a thesis on topology optimization under the mentorship of Autodesk’s Computational Science Research Department. I also completed internships as a Rendering and Programming Intern at Ubisoft Toronto and as a Research Intern at Carnegie Mellon University with Dr. Stelian Coros, focusing on work at the intersection of computer graphics and robotics.