2007 - Hayley Iben

As a Simulation Research Engineer in the Studio Tools Group at Pixar Animation, Hayley is using her Ph.D. in Computer Science to develop proprietary tools at the studio for upcoming films.

Hayley recognized her passion for computers early on.  She was President of the Computer Club in both high school and college and feels very lucky to have had small classes and several professors in college who helped her realize her talent and find her niche.  As a result, Hayley is committed to teaching and mentoring other computer scientists and had been an active member and leader of the Women in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering club and the CS Graduate Student Association while at UC Berkeley.

Hayley believes her Siebel Scholars award was pivotal to her career, as it allowed her to extend her original three-month internship with Pixar—an internship that has her well-positioned for a long and successful career in computer graphics.