About Ketrina Yim

Let's begin with the basics: I'm computer science graduate student with a desire to pursue computer graphics. Someday I hope to make computer animation my career, but for now I teach other students the fundamentals of this art form as a member of the UC Berkeley Undergraduate Graphics Group (UCBUGG). I'm also a member of Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the honor society for computer science students, and a graphics artist for California Engineer, Berkeley's engineering magazine.

I've been drawing for most of my life, but my penchant for drawing images relevant to course material began in middle school. Seldom did a handout or worksheet ever go without a doodle referencing what was in the day's lesson. I carried this habit with me all the way through high school and into UC Berkeley. But since handouts are a rarer commodity in college classes, I made the whiteboards of the computer labs and Soda Hall alcoves the sites for my spontaneous artwork. Given how frequent and publicly visible the drawings ended up being, it was inevitable that someone noticed.

It was during my very first computer science course at Berkeley that I began a "beta" version of "Computer Science Illustrated," under the guidance of the head TA, Clint Ryan, who was among the first to discover my talent. I produced seven hand-drawn illustrations, but during sophomore year the endeavor went on hiatus, because I thought I was getting too busy to continue.

Then, during the fall semester of my junior year, Dr. Dan Garcia, whom I knew from UCBUGG, convinced me to resume illustrating computer science concepts, this time as vector drawings so that they could be freely resized for prints. At this point I had taken more computer science courses, so I could also cover a wider range of topics. Thus "Computer Science Illustrated" was officially established as a project to provide visual aids to help students of various levels with their computer science courses.

About Sally Ahn

To introduce myself, I am an undergraduate studying computer science in UC Berkeley, who also happens to have a great passion for art. Although I became interested in computer science after I came to UC Berkeley, my love for art dates back to the earliest days of my childhood. Even now, oil painting is one of the greatest joys during my school breaks.

I became involved with Computer Science Illustrated in the beginning of my junior year, the Fall of 2008. By then, I had taken a course taught by Dr. Dan Garcia, our advisor on this project. Naturally, I became quite interested when I heard about this project that involved both art and computer science. I asked if there was any way I could contribute to this effort, and I was thrilled to receive a warm welcome.

Currently, I am in my junior year of college and am also a Regents' and Chancellor's Scholar and a member of the computer science honor society, Upsilon Pi Epsilon.