The Student-Postdoc Advisory Committee (SPC) works with the members of the VSS Board of Directors to make VSS responsive to the needs of our trainee members and early career researchers. The SPC organizes special events and workshops for trainees in vision science during the annual VSS meeting. These include discussions on career transitions, inclusivity & accessibility, and new scientific directions. The SPC also consults with the board and with other vision community partners (FoVea, Visibility, SPARK) to provide trainees’ perspectives and optimize the society and the conference for trainee members.
Interested in joining SPC?
Each year, VSS solicits nominations for new members of the Student-Postdoc Advisory Committee to replace those rotating off. VSS seeks a diverse set of graduate and postdoctoral scholars to represent young investigators at a variety of career stages, who study a variety of topics, who bring diverse perspectives, and who reside in different regions of the globe. Service on the SPC (2-year term) provides an excellent opportunity to have a positive impact on the vision science community, to develop professional skills such as team building and project management, and to develop a track record of academic service. Watch for announcements from VSS in mid-February about how to apply.
Current SPC members are indicated below. Terms end in May of the year shown.
Noah Britt (2026)
McMaster University
Noah Britt is a PhD candidate at McMaster University in Canada, working under the supervision of Dr. Hong-jin Sun. His research aims to investigate how visual processing and attention mechanisms in real and virtual 3-D space. His dissertation research focuses on how attention can be modulated across depth by factors such as changing task contexts, induced action requirements in driving simulations, and behavioural affordances. As a member of the SPC, Noah is excited to bring an inclusive perspective that can assist the VSS community in supporting early career researchers.
Amy Bucklaew (2026) Record Keeper
University of Rochester
Amy Bucklaew is a PhD student at the University of Rochester working with Dr. Jude Mitchell. Her research aims to investigate the neural mechanisms of visual attention and saccadic eye movements using eye tracking, electrophysiology, and optogenetic techniques. Her dissertation research focuses on how extra-retinal signals modulate tunning and response properties of neurons in area MT/MTC. Amy is committed to listening to different perspectives across the VSS community and building support for the needs of fellow early career researchers.
Victoria Jacoby (2026) Record Keeper
University of California, Los Angeles
Victoria Jacoby is a PhD candidate working with Dr. Phil Kellman at the University of California, Los Angeles. Following the completion of her degree, she will pursue a postdoctoral research fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital with Dr. Jeremy Wolfe. Her research has focused on optimizing perceptual learning in real-world categorization tasks and she is particularly interested in investigating the roles of perceptual learning and visual attention in medical image perception. As a member of the SPC, Victoria is committed to promoting accessibility and inclusivity in the VSS community and is looking forward to working with her fellow committee members to support the needs of early career researchers.
Akihito Maruya (2025) Chair
State University of New York
Akihito Maruya is a PhD student with Qasim Zaidi at the SUNY Graduate Center for Vision Research in NYC . He studies 3D perception in scenes and pictures, perception of rigid and non-rigid 3D objects, and form distortions perceived by adult and children amblyopes, using psychophysics and computational models. As a member of the VSS-SPC, he would like to make VSS even more inviting to students who have taken a non-traditional path to science and for whom English is not the first language.
Jes Parker (2025) Board Liaison
University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Jes Parker is a graduate student in the Experimental Psychology doctoral program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. They primarily investigate visual perception and memory across saccadic eye movements using eye tracking and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Specifically, they are interested in examining visual stability, the role of different types of information in the establishment of object correspondence, and the interaction between saccades and visual working memory. As a member of the Student-Postdoc Advisory Committee, they want to contribute to the progress towards a more diverse community of researchers that fosters both the growing representation and retention of individuals from historically underrepresented populations.
Brady Roberts (2026)
University of Chicago
Brady is a postdoctoral scholar working with Dr. Wilma Bainbridge at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on how visual design influences what we remember. By investigating how common visual symbols (e.g., !@#$%) impact memory, he explores which visual and conceptual features make an image memorable or forgettable. As a member of the SPC, Brady intends to provide mentoring and support for early career researchers in the VSS community, creating an open and productive meeting for all.
Organizers: Claudia Damiano, University of Toronto and Stephanie Shields, University of Texas at Austin (VSS Student-Postdoc Advisory Committee); Jody Culham (VSS Board of Directors) Moderator: Claudia Damiano, University of Toronto Speakers: Robert Geirhos, Google DeepMind; Kim Meier, University of Houston; Joan Ongchoco, University of British Columbia: Woon Ju Park, University of Washington; Jake Whritner, Exponent
Back by popular demand! Following requests to repeat last year’s event, the VSS-SPC is hosting a panel discussion on early career transitions, from the undergraduate level up through securing faculty positions and jobs outside of academia. A panel of vision scientists with a variety of chosen career paths will discuss their stories, the transitions they’ve gone through in their careers, and how they made the key decisions that led them to their current jobs. After each panelist gives an overview of their story, audience members will be invited to participate in a question-and-answer session with the panel. The panel will include representatives from both academia and industry, so attendees will hear firsthand perspectives both on navigating academia and on transitioning between academia and industry. Especially given the recent layoffs in industry and the pandemic’s lasting impact on hiring in higher education, we hope the panel will provide useful insights into current trends affecting early career researchers and ideas for how trainees can increase their chances of success in today’s professional landscape.
Robert Geirhos
Research Scientist, Google DeepMind
Robert Geirhos is a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind, located in Toronto. He obtained his PhD on comparing human and machine vision from the University of Tübingen and the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems, where he worked with Felix Wichmann, Matthias Bethge and Wieland Brendel. His research has received the ELLIS PhD award and an Outstanding Paper Award at NeurIPS. Inspired by research on human visual perception, Robert aims to develop a better understanding of the hypotheses, biases and assumptions of modern machine vision systems, and to use this understanding to make them more robust, interpretable and reliable. Dr. Geirhos’ website is https://robertgeirhos.com/.
Kim Meier
Assistant Professor, College of Optometry, University of Houston
Kim Meier spent a few years at community college trying out a few things before transferring to Simon Fraser University where she discovered research is fun, and obtained a BA in cognitive science and psychology. She then attended the University of British Columbia where she earned a PhD, and did a postdoc at the University of Washington. Now, she is Assistant Professor in the College of Optometry at the University of Houston. Overall, her work aims to understand how the visual parts of the brain typically develop, how this development is impacted when a person has prolonged atypical visual experience during childhood, and how perceptual abilities change as a function of treatment success. Her research tools include psychophysics, EEG, MRI, and eye-tracking.
Joan Ongchoco
Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia
Joan Ongchoco is an incoming Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia and the director of the UBC Perception & Cognition Lab. Before starting her lab, she decided to pursue a postdoctoral research fellowship at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin with Martin Rolfs. Prior to this, she obtained her PhD from Yale University, where she worked primarily with Brian Scholl. Joan is interested in the ways that perception — especially what we *see* — can interact with broader mental life. This includes exploring varieties of ‘everyday hallucinations’ we experience, as well as the consequences of event boundaries (such as doorways) on perception, memory, and decision-making. Her work draws connections across multiple areas and disciplines. She is the recipient of the 2021 William James Prize awarded by the Society of Philosophy and Psychology.
Woon Ju Park
Research Scientist, University of Washington
Woon Ju Park is an incoming Assistant Professor in Psychology at Georgia Institute of Technology starting this August. She completed her PhD in Brain and Cognitive Science from the University of Rochester working with Dr. Duje Tadin. She is currently a NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence fellow and Research Scientist in Dr. Ione Fine’s lab at the University of Washington. Woon Ju is particularly interested in understanding how experience and atypical development affect sensory processing. She has studied this in diverse human populations, including children with ASD, older adults, and those with early or late-onset visual impairments. Her current research focuses on understanding the effects of early blindness on the structure and function of the brain. To learn more about Woon Ju’s academic journey and current research, please visit her website.
Jake Whritner
Human Factors Senior Scientist, Exponent
Jake Whritner earned his PhD in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where he used human psychophysics to study 3D motion perception. His dissertation work tested the contribution of various depth and motion cues that the human visual system relies on to interact with the dynamic 3D world. At Exponent, Jake extends his expertise to practical applications, such as analyzing human factors related to motor vehicle accidents, warnings, and slip/trip and falls. He also uses mixed methods to assess user behavior to inform product design and risk assessment through surveys, interviews, and user studies.
Claudia Damiano (Moderator)
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Toronto
Claudia Damiano is a Research Associate (senior postdoctoral researcher) at the University of Toronto, working with Dirk Bernhardt-Walther. She previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Leuven, Belgium, working with Johan Wagemans. Broadly, her research aims to understand how visual features impact aesthetic preferences and guide attention. Her work contributes to our understanding of the relationship between human perception and the appreciation of natural environments. Claudia has served as a panelist on similar early-career panels, offering advice to Master’s and PhD students about transitioning to a postdoc position. As a moderator, she will ensure that the panel offers valuable insights and actionable advice to attendees.
Applications Are Now Open for the VSS Student-Postdoctoral Advisory Committee (SPC)
The Vision Sciences Society (VSS) is seeking applications for three vacancies on its Student-Postdoctoral Advisory Committee (SPC). Members of the SPC are graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. The SPC works together and with the members of the VSS Board of Directors to enhance VSS’s responsiveness to the needs of our trainee members and early career researchers.
Service on the SPC is an excellent way to develop a track record of community service and professional skills such as team-building, networking, project design and management.
VSS seeks a diverse set of applicants, so that this committee can continue to represent young investigators at a variety of career stages, who study a variety of topics and who reside in different regions of the globe. Graduate students, even early in careers, are especially encouraged to apply.
This year we are seeking two new postdoctoral representatives and one graduate-student representative.
To apply, email the following materials to by March 13, 2024:
In a single PDF file, labeled YOURLASTNAME_SPC2024, include the following:
Current CV, including current institutional affiliation and contact information
Personal statement: max 1-page detailing reasons for wanting to serve on the SPC, prior experience, and aspects of your background relevant to this call for service
List of previous VSS conferences attended
Statement of intention to attend VSS 2024 and 2025 as a student/postdoc VSS member
Names and contact information (including email) of two individuals willing to support the nomination
Those who applied for an SPC slot last year are encouraged to resubmit this year if they are still a student or postdoctoral VSS member.
Applications Accepted Starting: February 14, 2024 Applications Close: March 13, 2024 NEW SPC Representatives Announced: March 27, 2024
