Helen-Nicole (Eleni) Kostis is a science visualizer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Based at NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) Eleni serves Earth Science missions and programs by developing data-driven animations to communicate complex research findings to the scientific communities and the public. These data-driven media are freely and openly accessible from the Scientific Visualization Studio and take a life of their own upon release, as they support NASA’s press releases and are also used by educators, news media, museums, and tv/streaming networks. Eleni is the recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Award for Outreach, has been active in the broader visualization community and is a co-author of the Foundations of Data Visualization (Springer). She holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Ioannina (Greece), a Master’s in Computer Science and a Master’s in Fine Arts in Electronic Visualization from the University of Illinois at Chicago. During her graduate years at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL), Eleni found herself immersed in a creative playground that nurtured research, fostered collaboration, and spearheaded experimentations in art, science, and technology. Under the mentorship of Daniel Sandin, Eleni researched and developed tele-immersive experiences and artworks in state-of-the-art Virtual Reality (VR) systems that were exhibited internationally at conferences, festivals, and museums. It is also at EVL where Eleni learned about the importance of volunteering. Eleni has been an active volunteer at ACM SIGGRAPH since 2006, is a founding board member of CapXLab – an education non-profit in DC – and a girl scout troop leader.
Data-driven Scientific Visualization for Communication
ArtScience Collaboration for Computer Graphics and Visualization
Tele-immersive Experiences
2021 USRA Spot Award for supporting USRA's Visualization Team
2020 USRA Spot Award for supporting USRA's Earth from Space Institute Inaugural Symposium
2017 NASA STMD/Technology Transfer Program Award from the Office of the General Counsel
2015 NASA Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement Award for Outreach
2015 National Science Foundation (NSF) Vizzies People’s Choice Award for Games & Apps
2013 USRA/GESTAR Mission Achievement Award for Excellence
2012 USRA/GESTAR Recognition Award
2010 NASA/GSFC Inclusive Innovation (I2) Award
2009 NASA Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement Team Award for Outreach
2008 Individual Artist Award and Grant for Excellence in Computer Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2002 Teaching Assistantship Awards, School of Art and Design, UIC, Chicago, IL, USA, Spring & Fall Semesters
1995 Scholarship from the National Scholarship Foundation Greece for outstanding performance in mathematics
1994 Scholarship from the National Scholarship Foundation Greece for outstanding performance in mathematics
- MFA in Electronic Visualization, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 2007 (terminal degree)
- M.Sc. in Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2002
- B.Sc. in Mathematics, University of Ioannina, Greece, 1998
Professional Service to NASA:
NASA Information Sciences & Technology (IS&T) Colloquium Committee, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (2008-present)
Under this role, Helen-Nicole invites and hosts researchers and practitioners from the fields of computer graphics and visualization. Speakers include: Johnny Lee, Microsoft (2008); Jeff Han, Perspective Pixel (2009); Donna Cox, NCSA (2010); Zeynep Tufecki, UMBC (2010); Robert Kooima, LSU (2010); Ariel Shamir, Interdisciplinary Center (2011, 2014); Jeffrey Heer, Stanford University (2011); Neema Mostafavi, SVS (2011); Horace Mitchell, SVS (2011); Ben Fry, Fathom (2011); Tamara Munzner, UBC (2016); Chu Tang, Pixar (2017); Evan Hirsch, Engine Co.4 (2017); Mark Elendt & Jeff Lait, SideFX (2018); Andrew Johnson, EVL/UIC (2019); Mark SubbaRao, NASA/SVS (2021); Anders Ynnerman, Linkoping University (2021); Laura Trouille, Adler Planetarium (2021) .
Professional Service to Non-Profits:
Founding Board Member, CapXLabs (2019-present)
Board of Advisors, KV265 Communicating Science Through Art (2010-present)
Professional Service to the fields of Computer Graphics, Visualization & Art:
2022 International Program Committee Member, EGPGV, Rome, Italy
2020 Juror, ACM SIGGRAPH Student Research Competition, Virtual Conference
2020 Reviewer, ACM SIGGRAPH Posters Program, Virtual Conference
2020 Reviewer, ACM SIGGRAPH Art Gallery, Virtual Conference
2020 Reviewer, ACM SIGGRAPH, Computer Animation Festival, Virtual Conference
2019 Juror, ACM SIGGRAPH, Computer Animation Festival, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Reviewer, ACM SIGGRAPH, Posters Program, Vancouver, CA
2018 Reviewer, ACM SIGGRAPH Art Papers Program, Vancouver, CA
2018 Reviewer, ACM SIGGRAPH General Submissions Program, Vancouver, CA
2017 Juror, ACM SIGGRAPH Student Research Competition, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2017 Committee Member, Symposium on Education, ACM SIGGRAPH Asia, Bangok, Thailand
2017 Juror, Media & Technology MUSE Awards, Interpretive Installations category, American Association of Museums (AAM)
2017 International Program Committee, SciVis Technical Papers Program, Phoenix, AZ, USA
2016 Committee, Symposium on Education, SIGGRAPH Asia, Macao, Macao
2016 International Program Committee, SciVis Technical Papers Program, IEEE Vis 2016, Baltimore, MD, USA
2016 Chair, ACM SIGGRAPH 2016 Student Research Competition, Anaheim, CA, USA
2016 Presenter of Interpretive Installations Awards, MUSE Media & Technology Awards 2016 Ceremony, Washington DC, USA
2016 Reviewer, ACM Student Research Competition 2016
2016 Juror, Digital Arts Exhibition, “Science of the Unseen”, ACM SIGGRAPH 2016, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2016 Juror, Media & Technology MUSE Awards, Interpretive Installations category, American Association of Museums (AAM)
2015 Reviewer, Symposium on Education, SIGGRAPH Asia 2015, Kobe, Japan
2015 International Program Committee, SciVis Technical Papers Program, IEEE Vis 2015, Chicago, IL, USA
2015 Chair, ACM SIGGRAPH 2015 Student Research Competition, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2015 Reviewer, ACM Student Research Competition
2015 Session Chair, “Supernatural”, ACM SIGGRAPH 2015, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2015 Reviewer, Late-Breaking Program, ACM SIGGRAPH 2015, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2015 Juror, Media & Technology MUSE Awards, Interpretive Installations category, American Association of Museums (AAM)
2015 Juror, General Submissions, ACM SIGGRAPH 2015, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2014 Juror, Media & Technology MUSE Awards, Interpretive Installations category, American Association of Museums (AAM)
2014 Juror, General Submissions, ACM SIGGRAPH 2014, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2014 Reviewer, Papers program, International Journal of Arts in Society
2013 Juror, Media & Technology MUSE Awards, Animation category, American Association of Museums (AAM)
2013 Reviewer, NASA Small Business Initiative Review (SBIR), NASA/GSFC
2012 Juror, Media & Technology MUSE Awards, Animation category, American Association of Museums (AAM)
2012 Reviewer, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications Journal
2011 Reviewer, NASA Office of Education K-12 Cooperative Agreement Notice/Grants
2010 Reviewer, IEEE Computing in Science & Engineering Journal
2009 Reviewer, NASA Office of Education K-12 Cooperative Agreement Notice/Grants
2009 Curator, Tomorrow’s Yesterday: Scientific and Biomedical Visualization.
Computer Animation Festival Panel, ACM SIGGRAPH 2009, New Orleans, LA, USA
2009 Curator, A Journey from Outer to Inner Space: Scientific and Biomedical Stereoscopic Visualization, Computer Animation Festival Panel, ACM SIGGRAPH 2009, New Orleans, LA, USA
2009 Conference Committee, ACM SIGGRAPH 2009, New Orleans, LA
2008 Reviewer, NASA Small Business Initiative Review (SBIR), NASA/GSFC
2008 Conference Committee, ACM SIGGRAPH 2008, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2008 Ex-Student Volunteer, ACM XSV SIGGRAPH 2008, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2007 Committee, SPIE Midwest Chicago Student Meeting, Northwestern University, IL, USA
2007 Session Chair, Is this for real?, ACM SIGGRAPH 2007, San Diego, CA, USA
2007 Ex-Student Volunteer, ACM SIGGRAPH 2007, San Diego, CA, USA
Refereed
Borkiewicz, K., A. Christensen, H.-N. Kostis, G. Shirah, and R. Wyatt. 2019. "Cinematic scientific visualization: The Art of Communicating Science."
In ACM SIGGRAPH 2019 Courses (SIGGRAPH ’19). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA,
Article No 5:
Pages: 1-273
[10.1145/3305366.3328056]
Kostis, H.-N., and D. R. Fowler. 2016. "Collaborative computer graphics product development between academia and government: A dynamic model."
In SIGGRAPH ASIA 2016 Symposium on Education (SA ’16). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA,
Article 3:
Pages 1–10.
[10.1145/2993352.2993358]
Tsoupikova, D., H.-N. Kostis, and D. Sandin. 2013. "A practical guide to art/science collaborations."
In ACM SIGGRAPH 2013 Courses (SIGGRAPH ’13). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA,,
Article 20:
Pages 1–55.
[10.1145/2504435.2504455]
Kwan-Liu Ma, I. Liao, J. Frazier, H.-N. Kostis, and H. Hauser. 2012. "Scientific Storytelling Using Visualization."
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications,
32
(1):
12-19
[10.1109/mcg.2012.24]
Kostis, H.-N. 2008. "Loose Minds in a Box: Many Minds Working in Many Different Ways."
In College Arts Association Proceedings (CAA 2008). Dallas, TX, USA ,
[audio recording]:
Shirah, G. W., L. K. Perkins, H. G. Mitchell, et al. 2007. "Towers in the Tempest."
IEEE Visualization 2007 Scientific American Theater,
Sacramento, CA.
Kostis, H.-N., R. Kooima, and J. Kannenberg. 2007. "Skin: an interactive hyperstereoscopic electro installation."
SPIE 6490, Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems XIV,
6490:
10
[10.1117/12.703548]
Dolinsky, M., J. Anstey, D. Pape, et al. 2005. "Collaborative Virtual Environments Art Exhibition."
Proceedings of SPIE-IS&T Electronic Imaging, Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems XII,
5664:
641-652.
Non-Refereed
Böttinger, M., H.-N. Kostis, M. Velez-Rojas, P. Rheingans, and A. Ynnerman. 2020. "Reflections on Visualization for Broad Audiences."
Foundations of Data Visualization
Switzerland: Springer, 297-305,
ISBN: 978-3-030-34443-6.
[10.1007/978-3-030-34444-3_16]
Böttinger, M., H.-N. Kostis, and A. Ynnermann. 2020. "Challenges and Open Issues in Visualization for Broad Audiences."
Foundations of Data Visualization
Switzerland: Springer, 381-389,
ISBN: 978-3-030-34443-6.
[10.1007/978-3-030-34444-3_21]
Rheingans, P., H.-N. Kostis, P. A. Oemig, G. B. Robbins, and A. Ynnerman. 2020. "Reaching Broad Audiences in an Educational Setting."
Foundations of Data Visualization
Switzerland: Springer, 365-380,
ISBN: 978-3-030-34443-6.
[10.1007/978-3-030-34444-3_20]
Kostis, H.-N., M. O. Román, V. Kalb, et al. 2020. "Reaching Broad Audiences from a Large Agency Setting."
Foundations of Data Visualization
Switzerland: 319-340,
ISBN: 978-3-030-34443-6.
[10.1007/978-3-030-34444-3_18]
Invited
Panelist,Visualizing Science: Back to Basics, Columbia University
10
/
8
/
2021
A two-hour Zoom workshop, open to Columbia faculty, staff, postdocs, and students, who are seeking guidance on how to create clear and effective science graphics.
From space-borne sensors to the public eye: data as a visual message
Data are becoming increasingly complex and voluminous, a trend that will continue to grow as sensor technology, information storage, computational capability and scientific research evolve. However, unless we are up to the challenge of turning data into meaningful content that begets knowledge, we have not completed our quest for discovery. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio aims to promote a greater understanding of NASA science through visualization. In our efforts to explain to the public how complex phenomena work and to convey NASA’s latest research results and engineering accomplishments, we need to present the relationships that permeate the observed data and translate technical concepts to accessible messages that have simultaneously scientific integrity and a high visual engagement factor.
"Tales from the Orbit: In Search of the Visual Truth"
Contributors: William Bridgman, Kel Elkins, Leann Johnson, Joycelyn Jones, Alex Kekesi, Michael Lentz, Michael McClare, LK Ward, Scott Wiessinger, Ernie Wright
- 2000-2003 Part-Time Lecturer, Computer Information Systems, Truman College, Chicago, IL, USA Taught courses: Introduction and Advanced C++ Programming, Object Oriented Programming
- 2001-2002 Teaching Assistant, Electronic Visualization, School of Art and Design, UIC, Chicago, IL, USA
- 1999-2000 Part-Time Instructor, Greek Language, St. Andrew Greek High School, Chicago, IL, USA
- 1998-1999 Middle School Teacher of Informatics, Drosia Public School, Athens, Greece
Funding
2014 Secured funding for NASA Visualization Explorer app and website. Source: NASA
2013 Secured funding for NASA Visualization Explorer iOS universal app. Source: NASA
2012 Secured funding for NASA Visualization Explorer iOS universal app. Source: NASA
2011 Secured funding for NASA Visualization Explorer iPhone app. Source: NASA
2010 NASA/GSFC Inclusive Innovation (I2) Award for NASA Visualization Explorer. Co-authored submission and awarded seed funding to launch the project.
2008 Individual Artist Award & Grant for Excellence in Computer Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
NASA New Technology Reporting (NTR)
2015 Innovator, NASA New Technology Report (NTR): NASA Viz Android Application
2012 Innovator, NASA New Technology Report (NTR): NASA Viz iPhone Application
2011 Innovator, NASA New Technology Report (NTR): NASA Viz iPad Application
ACM SIGGRAPH,
2006
-
Present
