Sheelagh Carpendale holds an NSERC/SMART Industrial Research Chair in Interactive Technologies. She was previously a professor at University of Calgary, where she held a Canada Research Chair in Information Visualization and an NSERC/AITF/SMART Industrial Research Chair in Interactive Technologies. She directs the Innovations in Visualization (InnoVis) research group. At University of Calgary, she founded the interdisciplinary graduate group, Computational Media Design.Her research on information visualization, large interactive displays, and new media art draws on her dual background in Computer Science (BSc. and Ph.D. Simon Fraser University) and Visual Arts (Sheridan College, School of Design and Emily Carr,[3] College of Art).