Meet Sarah Jobalia | PhD Student in Computer Science

Sarah Jobalia, a PhD candidate in Stanford's Computer Science Department, shares what fuels her passion for research, the support she's found in the Stanford community, and advice she has for fellow graduate students. In this spotlight, Sarah reflects on a defining moment in her journey—participating in Stanford’s inaugural 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) competition—and how it shaped her communication of complex ideas. Sarah is also a VPGE DARE Fellow. Sarah’s work sits at the intersection of Computer Graphics and Machine Learning, focused on making animation more inclusive. By studying hair—its look, movement, and cultural significance—she develops tools that help artists create 3D hairstyles from just a few images, ensuring characters of all backgrounds are represented equitably on screen. Her research reimagines the animation pipeline to be more accessible, authentic, and representative of real-world diversity. Visual credits: Featured visual art includes work by Magdy Kovo (https://magdykovo.artstation.com), with additional artists contributing to the groom designs. Video by Alex Gillaspy -- 📷 Follow the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) on Instagram: https://instagram.com/StanfordVPGE. 💻 Learn more about Stanford's Computer Science graduate program: https://cs.stanford.edu