Ethan Kerzner

Software engineer focused on visual analytics

Yo! I'm Ethan, a software engineer focused on building tools that help experts understand, analyze, and share complex data. In my current work, I'm building analytics tools used by community healthcenters, which increase access to primary care throughout the US. Previously, I've built tools that accelerated neuroscience discoveries, contributed to safer military vehicles, and significantly impacted an early-stage project at Google X.

I hold a PhD in computer science. My dissertation was based on experiences building visualization software for neuroscientists, defense analysts, physicians, and biologists. It was advised by Miriah Meyer at the Vis Design Lab at the University of Utah.

Selected Projects and Publications

Although I don't actively publish anymore, here are some of the projects that I've worked on. Please see my scholar profile for a full publication list.

utah
Network architecture of gap junctional coupling in the mammalian retina
Network motifs for understanding mesopic vision and therapeutic interventions for blindness.
Analysis supported with the tools below. Published in J. Neuroscience.
utah
A framework for workshops in applied visualization (dissertation)
Reflections on using workshops in projects with defense analysts and neuroscientists.
Received School of Computing Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2019
x-logo
Visualization tools for a moonshot
Prototype visualization tools used by an early-stage project at Google X.
Work completed as an intern and then as a full-time employee.
graffinity
Creative visualization-opportunities workshops
Practical guidance for using workshops to jump-start applied visualization projects.
Published in IEEE Trans. Vis. and Comput. Graphics (InfoVis '18)
graffinity
Graffinity: visualizing connectivity in large graphs
Software for visualizing paths in graphs, optimized for neuroscientists.
Published in Computer Graphics Forum (EuroVis '17)
graffinity
TulipPaths: plugins for analyzing connectome data
Plugins to support connectome analysis in Tulip.
Results appear in Journal of Comparative Neurology
shotviewer
Visual vulnerability analysis
Visualization software for vulnerability analysts to improve the safety of military vehicles.
Published in Computer Graphics Forum (EuroVis '15)
streaming compression
Streaming g-buffer compression for anti-aliasing
Algorithm to reduce memory usage and shading costs of anti-aliasing in deferred shading.
Published in High Performance Graphics '14
multihit
Multi-hit ray traversal
Ray tracing algorithm for robust rendering of optical transparency and ballistic simulations.
Published in Journal of Computer Graphics Techniques '14
transparency
Toward accurate and efficient order-independent transparency
Algorithm for improved rendering of optical transparency and ballistic simulations.
Poster at SIGGRAPH '13