Planning a Satellite Event for VSS 2024

A satellite is an event originated by VSS members or conference attendees that require venue facilities, publicity in VSS media, or coordination with VSS staff.

Examples include special interest groups, user groups, committee meetings, workshops, tutorials, social events, or scientific meetings. A Satellite Event can be open to all attendees or by invitation only.

Events intended for all VSS attendees may not overlap with any official VSS event. Time slots for satellites are listed below. Please note that your preferred slot may not necessarily be available. Scheduling is at the discretion of the VSS Board of Directors.

Day	Time Slots Available
Friday	Before Noon
Saturday	12:30 – 2:30 pm
Sunday	12:30 – 2:30 pm, 7:30 – 10:00 pm
Monday	2:00 – 5:30 pm
Tuesday	12:30 – 2:30 pm, 7:30 – 10:00 pm

All satellites must be approved by VSS. An application form must be completed and submitted by January 10, 2024.

Approved satellite events will be scheduled in February and organizers of accepted events will be notified thereafter. Listing of Satellite Events in VSS media is at the discretion of VSS.

Fees for satellite events are $500. For non-commercial VSS members who are not charging for satellite registration, fees are reduced to $200.

Organizers are responsible for the costs of food and A/V. VSS staff are solely responsible for coordinating and arranging the food, A/V, room assignment, and promotion in VSS media (program, website, and signage). Please check with VSS if you have any questions. Any changes to the arrangements or late special requests may incur an additional fee.

Organizer Requirements

• Organizers must be members of VSS and registered for the meeting.
• Commercial companies interested in organizing a Satellite Event must be a VSS 2024 sponsor. VSS welcomes sponsors. For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact .

Organizer Responsibilities

Organizers must:

• Work directly with the VSS Executive Director or designated staff regarding all event logistics.
• State clearly in all communications about the event, including written materials and emails, that the Satellite Event is neither sponsored nor endorsed by VSS.
• Announce at the beginning of the event that the event is not sponsored or endorsed by VSS.
• Assume full financial responsibility for food/beverage services and equipment ordered (including setup and tear down labor, room rental, and reset fees, if applicable). A deposit to VSS may be required at least one week prior to the event.
• Obtain additional liability insurance and/or permits (if necessary).
• Order miscellaneous items, except those requested on the standard form (i.e., audiovisual, staging, etc.), from VSS vendors, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• Use services only from VSS’s official vendors, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• Remove all signage and meeting materials (e.g., handouts) from assigned rooms at the event’s conclusion and agree to pay any cleaning fee resulting from use of the space.
• Adhere to the VSS Code of Conduct as established by the VSS Board of Directors.

Prohibited Actions

• Demonstrations, displays, and/or marketing or distribution of commercial products is not permitted during Satellite Events. Event speakers may refer to a product as a reference tool during presentations.
• Promotional literature advertising the Satellite Event may not be distributed as door drops in hotels, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director. Satellite Event organizers may not conduct drawings or award gifts to meeting attendees, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• Organizers cannot use the VSS acronym in website URLs, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• No recording without permission.

Schedule

Applications Accepted: November 15, 2023
Applications Deadline: January 10, 2024
Please use our online Satellite Event Request Form to submit the details of your satellite event.

Submit a Satellite Event Request

Submit a Satellite Event Request for VSS2024

Thursday, May 18

Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS)

Thursday, May 18, 2023, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Blue Heron

Friday, May 19

Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS)

Friday, May 19, 2023, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Blue Heron

VPixx: What’s (not) in a name: Guidelines for replicable projector-based vision experiments

Friday, May 19, 2023, 9:00 – 11:30 am, Jasmine/Palm

Saturday, May 20

WorldViz: Virtual Reality + Eye Tracking for Research

Saturday, May 20, 2023, 12:45 – 2:15 pm, Blue Heron

Sunday, May 21

Canadian Vision Science Social

Sunday, May 21, 2023, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, Sabal/Sawgrass

FoVea Workshop: Career Transitions Workshop, Part 2

Sunday, May 21, 2023, 8:45 – 9:45 pm, Beachside Decks

Monday, May 22

Pre-Data-Collection Poster Session

Monday, May 22, 2023, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Tuesday, May 23

phiVis: Philosophy of Vision Science Workshop

Tuesday, May 23, 2022, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Organizers: Chaz Firestone, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University; Kevin Lande, Department of Philosophy & Centre for Vision Research, York University; Jorge Morales, Departments of Psychology and Philosophy, Northeastern University

Speakers: Wayne Wu (Carnegie Mellon), with comments from Ruth Rosenholtz (MIT); Madeleine Ransom (University of British Columbia), with comments from Isabel Gauthier (Vanderbilt); Jake Quilty-Dunn (Washington University-St. Louis), with comments from Yaoda Xu (Yale)

The past decade has seen a resurgence in conversation between vision science and philosophy of perception on questions of fundamental interest to both fields, such as: What do we see? What is seeing for? What is seeing? The phiVis workshop is a forum for continuing and expanding this interdisciplinary conversation. Short talks by philosophers of perception that engage with the latest research in vision science will be followed by discussion with a slate of vision scientists.

Conversations between philosophers of vision and vision scientists have enriched research programs in both fields. On the one hand, the latest generation of philosophers of vision are deeply immersed in the scientific literatures on natural scene statistics, visual short-term memory, ensemble perception, contour integration, amodal completion, visual salience, multi-sensory integration, visual adaptation, and much else. On the other hand, vision scientists have found a great deal of value in responding to and thinking together with philosophers about the mechanisms and effects of perceptual constancies, attentional selection, object perception, and perceptual uncertainty, to name just a handful of topics. These conversations are not only intrinsically interesting for everyone involved, they have been fruitful sources of research and collaboration. However, opportunities for dialogue are all too rare, often occurring only through chance interactions or one-off workshops. The phiVis satellite is meant to be a platform to extend these discussions.

For more information, visit: https://www.phivis.org/

Monday, May 22, 2023, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Organizers: Sabrina Hansmann-Roth, University of Iceland; Bjoern Joerges, York University; William Ngiam, University of Chicago; Janna Wennberg, University of California

It is customary for conference posters to contain at least preliminary results. However, feedback and suggestions with regards to the experimental design – a major benefit of poster sessions – would be most helpful before data collection has started. In hopes of achieving this, we will be hosting a pre-data collection poster session.

Receiving feedback at this early stage promotes rigorous and impactful science – researchers can identify confounds, hidden assumptions, or other concerns that would likely be raised by reviewers. This cuts down research waste as suggested changes can be implemented before resources are committed. Researchers may even learn of similar studies and potential issues, helpful resources, or opportunities for collaborations between labs. This mirrors Registered Reports, an Open Science initiative, where peer review of a pre-registration occurs before data is collected.

Interested VSS attendees will be asked to sign up by indicating their research topic and a short (250 word) description of their research idea and preliminary design. Registration for this event will be just-in-time (deadline: May 1). Those selected will be asked to prepare a conference poster which focuses on the theoretical background of the study and their proposed study methods. There will be a maximum of 40 posters, and spots will be granted on a first come, first serve basis.

We are aware that, under an adversarial, competitive view of academia, this event may place presenters in a vulnerable position – participation publicizes research ideas without allowing them to formally lay claim through a publication. We encourage poster viewers to be mindful, using this event to establish collaboration with presenters and improve science. We will be creating an Open Science Framework Meetings page if presenters wish to upload their pre-data posters, providing a verification and timestamp of their research proposals. However, ultimately if you are worried about getting scooped, presenting your idea at this event might not be the right decision for you.

If you want to present a poster on your proposed research design, you can submit your abstract using this Google Form. If you merely want to browse and comment on the posters, no registration is necessary.

Update May 2nd: Submissions are still open, but please send us a note () to make sure that we process your submission promptly.

Update May 16th: Please find the abstract booklet here:

Sunday, May 21, 2023, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, Sabal/Sawgrass

Organizers: Caitlin Mullin, Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) York University; Doug Crawford, Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) York University
Speaker: Doug Crawford, Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) York University

This social event is open to any VSS member who is, knows, or would like to meet a Canadian Vision Scientist! Join us for casual discussions with students and faculty from several Canadian Institutes or to just satisfy your curiosity as to why we in the North are so polite and good natured, Eh? We particularly encourage trainees and scientists who would like to learn about the various opportunities available through York’s Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) program. So grab your toques and your double-double and come connect with your favourite Canucks. This event will feature free food and refreshments, with a complimentary beverage for the first 100 attendees. This event is sponsored by the York Centre for Vision Research and VISTA, which is funded in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF).

Saturday, May 20, 2023, 12:45 – 2:15 pm, Blue Heron

Organizers: Sado Rabaudi, Product Manager, Solutions Architect, WorldViz; Dan Tinkham, Head Of Sales, Americas, WorldViz

WorldViz VR will give an educational seminar and hands-on demonstration of the latest virtual reality and mixed reality consumer devices with built in eye tracking and will explain how this equipment can be used in a research context. This presentation will include a high level overview of virtual reality and mixed reality key concepts as well as explanations for how to create custom immersive experiments using the latest software, including a demonstration of the SightLab VR Pro drag-and-drop VR + eye tracking toolkit. WorldViz VR will also provide examples of notable publications and successful use cases for virtual reality + eye tracking research across various academic disciplines. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of currently available immersive technology and how they can use it in their own research – they may be surprised how easy it is.

Friday, May 19, 2023, 8:30 – 9:30 pm, Garden Courtyard

Organizers: Michael Grubb, Trinity College; Alex White, Barnard College

LGBTQ students are disproportionately likely to drop out of science early. Potential causes include the lack of visible role models and the absence of a strong community. This social event is one small step towards filling that gap and will bring awareness to continuing challenges for queer scientists.

Please join us towards the end of the opening night reception, in the Garden Court (located between the Jacaranda building and the Grand Palm Colonade).

All are welcome. Snacks, drinks, and camaraderie will be provided.

Friday, May 19, 2023, 9:00 – 11:30 am, Jasmine/Palm

Organizer: Dr. Sophie Kenny, Staff Scientist at VPixx Technologies

While most vision researchers use flat-panel displays for their experiments, many also use projection systems due to their extensive range of potential applications. Projectors can be a practical solution for environments sensitive to magnetic fields (fMRI, MEG, OPM), produce a wide range of image sizes, and can often implement otherwise impossible research protocols.

The flip side of this flexibility is that few projector installations are alike, and this variability has consequences. Choices of model, manufacturer, imaging technology, projection screens, and even the equipment and observer’s relative positions can influence the final appearance of stimuli or introduce artifacts. However, published papers rarely include the information that the reader or editor requires to judge whether artifacts are likely to be present and whether they might be significant enough to influence the interpretation of results.  

In this educational session, we will present various research applications of projector displays and outline the consequences different choices may have on spatial uniformity, image content, brightness and contrast, stereo crosstalk, and more. Throughout the presentation, we will share guidelines to help researchers navigate the process of installing a new projector-based psychophysics laboratory, characterize current setups, and compare data collected across research laboratories and environments.  

To help us plan this event, please send an email to signal your interest to    

VPixx is a privately held company serving the vision research community by developing innovative hardware and software tools for vision scientists (http://www.vpixx.com).  For more general educational content, visit the VPixx Online Classroom and Library (VOCAL): www.vpixx.com/vocal

Thursday, May 18, 2023, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Blue Heron
Friday, May 19, 2023, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Blue Heron

Organizers: Marianne Maertens, Technische Universität Berlin; Jeff Mulligan, Freelance Vision Scientist; Zygmunt Pizlo, UC Irvine; Anne B. Sereno, Purdue University; Qasim Zaidi, SUNY College of Optometry

Contributed scientific talks, with coffee service and morning snacks. More information about the workshop, including how to register, can be found at the workshop website https://www.purdue.edu/conferences/events/modvis/. 

Sunday, May 21, 2023, 8:45 – 9:45 pm, Garden Courtyard

Sponsored by: Females of Vision et al (FoVea)

Organizers: Charisse B. Pickron, University of Minnesota & Diane Beck, University of Illinois

Career transitions are both exciting and scary. Some of the uncertainty regarding a new role, however, can be reduced by talking to others who have made similar transitions. This year VSS-SPC and FoVea together present a two-part ‘Career Transitions Workshop’ on navigating these diverse pathways, with Part 1: Early Career Panel and Part 2: Where do I go from here? Round-Table Discussion. 

Following Part 1, Career Transition Workshop Part 2 will feature a round table discussion with small, facilitator-led groups that cover transition topics for those in early stages (e.g., students/Postdocs) through advanced career stages (e.g., associate/emeritus). We will start the event with introductions from facilitators who have experienced various career transitions including those from Part 1. Some of the transitions Part 2 will cover include: graduate student & postdoc transitions, academia to industry, academia to government/policy/non-profit, and changing institutions, with a particular interest on issues relevant to women and gender-diverse individuals. Participants will have time to choose 1 to 2 discussion groups to join throughout the workshop. Light snacks and drinks will be served during the workshop. 

*It is not necessary to have attended Part 1 to attend Part 2, as both are different formats and attendees can benefit from both events depending on the level of interaction and discussion they would like to have. 

FoVea is a group founded to advance the visibility, impact, and success of women in vision science (www.foveavision.org). We encourage vision scientists of all genders to participate in the workshops.