Wednesday, May 16

Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS)

Wednesday, May 16 – Friday, May 18, Horizons
9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Wednesday
9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Thursday
8:30 – 11:45 am Friday

Organizers: Jeff Mulligan, NASA Ames Research Center; Zygmunt Pizlo, UC Irvine; Anne B. Sereno, Purdue University; and Qasim Zaidi, SUNY College of Optometry

Keynote Selection Committee: Yalda Mohsenzadeh, MIT; Michael Rudd, University of Washington

The 7th VSS satellite workshop on Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS) will be held at the Tradewinds Island Resorts in St. Pete Beach, FL, May 16 – May 18. A keynote address will be given by Eero Simoncelli, New York University.

The early registration fee is $100 for regular participants, $50 for students. More information can be found on the workshop’s website: http://www.conf.purdue.edu/modvis/

Thursday, May 17

Eye tracking in Virtual Reality

Thursday, May 17, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Jacaranda Hall (Jasmine/Palm)

Organizer: Gabriel Diaz, Rochester Institute of Technology

This will be hands on workshop run by Gabriel Diaz, with support from his graduate students Kamran Binaee and Rakshit Kothari.

The ability to incorporate eye tracking into computationally generated contexts presents new opportunities for research into gaze behavior. The aim of this workshop is to provide an understanding of the hardware, data collection process, and algorithms for data analysis. Example data and code will be provided in two both Jupyter notebooks and Matlab (choose your preference). This workshop is sponsored by The Optical Society’s Vision Technical Group and is suitable for both PIs and graduate students.

Friday, May 18

Tutorial on Big Data and Online Crowd-Sourcing for Vision Research

Friday, May 18, 8:30 – 11:45 am, Jacaranda Hall (Jasmine/Palm)

Organizer: Wilma Bainbridge, National Institutes of Health

Speakers: Wilma Bainbridge, Tim Brady, Dwight Kravitz, and Gijsbert Stoet

Online experiments and Big Data are becoming big topics in the field of vision science, but can be hard to access for people not familiar with web development and coding. This tutorial will teach attendees the basics of creating online crowd-sourced experiments, and how to think about collecting and analyzing Big Data related to vision research. Four experts in the field will discuss how they use and collect Big Data, and give hands-on practice to tutorial attendees. We will discuss Amazon Mechanical Turk, its strengths and weaknesses, and how to leverage it in creative ways to collect powerful, large-scale data. We will then discuss Psytoolkit, an online experimental platform for coding timed behavioral and psychophysical tasks, that can integrate with Amazon Mechanical Turk. We will then discuss how to create Big Datasets using various ways of “scraping” large-scale data from the internet. Finally, we will discuss other sources of useful crowd-sourced data, such as performance on mobile games, and methods for scaling down and analyzing these large data sets.

Sunday, May 20

FoVea (Females of Vision et al) Workshop

Sunday, May 20, 7:30 – 8:30 pm, Horizons

Organizers: Diane Beck, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Mary A. Peterson, University of Arizona; Karen Schloss, University of Wisconsin – Madison; Allison Sekuler, Baycrest Health Sciences

Speaker: Virginia Valian, Hunter College
Title: TBA

Dr. Valian is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Director of The Gender Equity Project

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.

Monday, May 21

Psychophysics Toolbox Discussion

Monday, May 21, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, Talk Room 1

Organizers: Vijay Iyer, MathWorks

Speakers: Vijay Iyer, others TBD

Discussion of the current-state (technical, funding, community status) of the Psychophysics toolbox, widely used for visual stimulus generation in vision science experiments.

Social Hour for Faculty at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs)

Monday, May 21, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Royal Tern

Organizer: Katherine Moore, Arcadia University

Do you work at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI)? Do you juggle your research program, student mentoring, and a heavy teaching load? If so, come along to the PUI social and get to know other faculty at PUIs! It will be a great opportunity to share your ideas and concerns. Feel free to bring your own drinks / snacks. Prospective faculty of PUIs are also welcome to attend and get to know us and our institutions.

Canadian Vision Social

Monday, May 21, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Jacaranda Hall (Jasmine/Palm)

Organizers: Doug Crawford, York Centre for Vision Research

This afternoon Social is open to any VSS member who is, knows, or would like to meet a Canadian Vision Scientist! The event will feature free snacks and beverages. We particularly encourage trainees and scientists who would like to learn about the various research and training funds available through the Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) program, which is sponsoring this event. VISTA is funded in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF).

Tuesday, May 22

Virtual Reality as a Tool for Vision Scientists

Tuesday, May 22, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Talk Room 1

Organizer: Matthias Pusch, WorldViz

In a hands on group session, we will show how Virtual Reality can be used by Vision Scientists for remote and on site collaborative experiments. Full experimental control over stimuli and reactions enable a unique setting for measuring performance. We will experience collaboration with off-site participants, and show the basics of performance data recording and analysis.

VSS is pleased to announce that the 16th Annual Visual Demos Evening at VSS will be Monday, May 21, 2018, from 6:00 – 10:00 pm at the TradeWinds Island Resorts, St. Pete Beach. Demo Night is a celebration of vision science featuring demonstrations of visual phenomena both old and new. Join us for a Demo Night Beach BBQ from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, followed by demos inside the Island Ballroom from 7:00 – 10:00 pm.

The Demo Night committee is seeking submissions of particularly dramatic, provocative, educational, and entertaining demonstrations of visual phenomena. There is no requirement that demos be novel and we would like to encourage submissions that highlight classic effects. We particularly encourage demonstrations that transcend the bounds of the tabletop, such as immersive experiences, and also ones that are “physical” and do not rely on computer graphics.

VSS and the TradeWinds Island Resorts can provide tables, electrical outlets, some wall space and/or screens for projections, and poster boards upon request. The organizers will help coordinate special needs (e.g., theatrical lighting) on a case-by-case basis. Each presenter will be responsible for bringing and setting up any other necessary equipment for their own demos, including data projectors and other displays.

If you have a demo that you would like to present for Demo Night, please fill out the submission form located on the VSS website no later than March 14, 2018.

This year’s Demo Night will be organized and curated by Gideon Caplovitz, University of Nevada, Reno; Arthur Shapiro, American University; Karen Schloss, University of Wisconsin; and Gennady Erlikhman, University of Nevada, Reno.

Nominations are open for two 4-year positions on the Vision Sciences Society Board of Directors. The Board’s responsibilities include scheduling the Annual Meeting, implementing and monitoring VSS policies, budget oversight, and other organizational activities. The Board meets twice a year, during the Annual Meeting and in late January.

Any regular VSS member in good standing may be nominated, with the exception of individuals now on the Board, or who have served on the Board within the last four years.

NOMINATION PROCEDURE:
Each nomination must be endorsed by three regular VSS members. One person should email the nomination to and copy the other two nominators on the email. The other two nominators should indicate their endorsement by forwarding the nominating email to . Please include a recent vita and a short paragraph describing the qualifications of the nominee, as well as an assurance that the nominee is willing to serve. Nominees will remain on the nominee list for three years, unless they indicate otherwise.

SELECTION OF SLATE OF CANDIDATES: (http://www.visionsciences.org/nominating-committee/)
The VSS bylaws provide for a Nominating Committee, composed of VSS members who are highly respected scientists chosen to represent the broad range of disciplines representative of VSS members (the VSS President chairs the Nominating Committee). The current members of the Nominating Committee are Eli Brenner, Barbara Dosher, Julie Harris, Pascal Mamassian and Mary Peterson. For each open Director position, the Nominating Committee selects from the nominees a slate of candidates who are highly respected scientists and who, when added to the Board of Directors, would result in broad representation of the disciplines representative of VSS members.

CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS: (http://www.visionsciences.org/board/)
The names, term-end dates and areas of expertise of the Board members are listed below. Board terms end immediately after the VSS meeting of the year listed.

Preeti Verghese (2018)
Visual search and attention, Eye movements, Motion, Binocular vision

Andrew Watson (2018)
Spatial vision, Motion perception, Psychophysics, Computational models, Visual displays

Eli Brenner (2019)
Perception and action, Eye movements, Reaching and grasping, Color, Cue combination, Motion perception, Psychophysics

Jeremy Wolfe (2019)
Visual search, Visual attention, Scene perception, Visual memory, Medical image perception

Jeffrey Schall (2020)
Visual search and attention, Eye movements, Neurophysiology

David Brainard (2020)
Color and lightness, Material perception, Spatial vision, Psychophysics, Computational models

Lynne Kiorpes (2020)
Visual development, Amblyopia, Developmental disability, Neurophysiology

Michael Webster (2021)
Color and lightness, Spatial vision, Face perception, Adaptation and plasticity, Psychophysics

Laurie Wilcox (2021)
Binocular vision, Depth perception, Psychophysics, Spatial vision, Visual displays

Preeti Verghese and Andrew Watson will be leaving the Board after the Annual Meeting in May.

VSS is pleased to welcome Kenneth C. Catania as the VSS 2018 Keynote Speaker. Dr. Catania is the Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. He is considered an expert in exotic animal behaviors, focusing on how specialized species reveal general principles about the organization of sensory systems. Dr. Catania was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2006 and a Guggenheim Fellow in 2014. In 2013, he received the Pradel Research Award in Neurosciences from the National Academy of Sciences.

In his talk entitled “More than meets the eye: the extraordinary brains and behaviors of specialized predators,” Dr. Catania will describe the neurobiology and behavior of unusual species, including star-nosed moles, tentacled snakes, and electric eels. He will discuss predator-prey interactions, in particular how these interactions have resulted in the evolution of high-acuity senses and dramatic attack and escape behaviors.

Dr. Catania’s talk will be held on Saturday, May 19th at 7:15 pm in Talk Room 1-2. To learn more about Kenneth C. Catania and his groundbreaking work, please visit his home page.

The 18th Annual Meeting of the Vision Sciences Society will be held at the TradeWinds Island Resorts in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

VSS has negotiated special room rates for the TradeWinds Island Grand and Guy Harvey Outpost hotels.

In addition, VSS is pleased to offer a limited number of Government Rate rooms at the Guy Harvey for VSS attendees. Rooms will be available on a first come, first-served basis. Discount rates are available May 14 – 25, 2018. The deadline to reserve a hotel room is April 14, 2018 or until the VSS Room Block is sold out.

For detailed room information and a reservations link, go to Accommodations.

The Vision Sciences Society is pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for the Davida Teller Award.

The Davida Teller Award was created in honor of Professor Davida Teller’s exceptional scientific achievements, great collegiality, and strong history of mentoring. The award is given to a woman vision scientist who has made exceptional contributions to the field of vision science and also has a strong history of mentoring. The nature of this work can be fundamental, clinical or applied. The Davida Teller Award is open to all career stages. The recipient will be recognized at the VSS 2018 meeting in St. Pete Beach.

Nomination Process
Nominations may be made by any current member of the Vision Sciences Society, as well as those who hold emeritus status. A nominee must have been an active VSS member in recent years. Previously considered nominees are eligible to be re-nominated.

The nomination should include the following:

a nomination letter, which outlines in detail the excellent contributions and innovations of the nominee, as well as her history of mentoring. Clear indicators of research and mentoring impact should be discussed;
a curriculum vitae which includes an up-to-date publication list of the nominee;
supporting letters describing the importance of the nominee’s scientific contributions, as well as any mentoring activities undertaken by the nominee.

Nominations should be submitted by email to Shauney Wilson.

Nominations will be reviewed by an Award Committee comprised of three established visual scientists selected from the VSS membership. Members of the Award Committee and of the VSS Board of Directors cannot serve as nominators.

Schedule
Nominations Open: November 1, 2017
Nominations Close: January 8, 2018
Recipient Announced: March 1, 2018

The Vision Sciences Society is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for the Ken Nakayama Medal for Excellence in Vision Science.

The Ken Nakayama Medal is in honor of Professor Ken Nakayama’s contributions to the Vision Sciences Society, as well as his innovations and excellence to the domain of the vision sciences. The winner of the Ken Nakayama Medal receives this honor for high-impact work that has made a lasting contribution in vision science in the broadest sense. The nature of this work can be fundamental, clinical, or applied. The Medal is not a lifetime career award and is open to all career stages.

Nomination Process
Nominations may be made by any regular member of the Vision Sciences Society, as well as by those who hold emeritus status. The nominee does not have to be a member of the Vision Sciences Society. Nominations must be submitted by January 8, 2018. The winner will be announced on March 1, 2018. The recipient will be recognized at the VSS 2018 Meeting in St. Pete Beach.

The nomination package should include the following:
1. a nomination letter, which outlines in detail the excellent contributions and innovations of the nominee. Clear indicators of the nominee’s impact on the field of vision science should be discussed.
2. a curriculum vitae and an up-to-date publication list of the nominee.
3. letters of support by four vision scientists, two of whom are regular VSS members or hold emeritus status.

Nominations for the Ken Nakayama Medal should be submitted by email to Shauney Wilson.

Nominations will be reviewed by an Award Committee, consisting of the five most recent past-presidents of the Vision Sciences Society. Members of the Award Committee and of the VSS Board of Directors cannot serve as nominators.

Schedule
Nominations Open: November 1, 2017
Nominations Close: January 8, 2018
Recipient Announced: March 1, 2018

VSS is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2018 Elsevier/VSS Young Investigator Award. The prize, sponsored by Vision Research, is awarded each year to an outstanding vision scientist who received an advanced degree within the past ten years.

Eligibility
To be eligible, the award applicant must have no more than ten years of active research/teaching experience. (This allows the exclusion of times that typically “stop the clock” in academic tenure track positions). If there was no break in active research/teaching, for the upcoming 2018 award, the degree must have been awarded in or after 2008.

Applicants must be active VSS members and have attended two of the last five VSS meetings.

Nomination Process
Nominations must be made by a VSS member. They will be reviewed by an Award Committee, consisting of five established visual scientists selected from VSS membership. Members of the Award Committee and of the VSS Board of Directors cannot serve as nominators.

The Award Committee will select the winner by March 28, 2018. The prize will be presented at the 2018 VSS Meeting in St. Pete Beach and will include an honorarium. The awardee will be asked to give a presentation of her/his work at the 2018 VSS Meeting and to write a review to be published in Vision Research.

Nominations should include the following:
• A letter of recommendation containing a detailed description of the nominee’s scientific contributions,
• One additional letter of support,
• The nominee’s curriculum vitae.

Nominees from previous years may be re-nominated, assuming the nominee is still eligible. A new nomination letter is required in that case.

Nominations for the 2018 Young Investigator Award should be submitted by email to Shauney Wilson at .

The deadline for submitting nominations is February 8, 2018.

The 2018 ARVO/VSS Research Fellowship Award application period is open now through January 5, 2018.

The purpose of the ARVO/VSS Research Fellowship is to encourage and foster new collaborations between clinical and basic vision researchers to better train young scientists in the area of translational research. These fellowships will provide research funds to support students who wish to acquire training in a cross-disciplinary lab to promote their ability to perform translational research and compete for research funding as their career matures.

If you know of any VSS or ARVO Members-in-Training who may be interested in translational research, please encourage them to apply.

To learn more about the requirements for eligibility and the general application guidelines, please visit 2018 ARVO/VSS Research Fellowship. Questions may be directed to .

The application period closes on January 5, 2018.

VSS is currently seeking proposals for symposia to be held during the 2018 VSS Annual Meeting. Four to six symposia will be scheduled, each lasting two hours.

VSS Symposia deal with contemporary research topics in vision research. Symposia can be organized by content area or by method, but talks within a symposium should focus on broader conceptual themes than a typical VSS presentation. There should be at least four but no more than five speakers within a symposium session, and each talk should be scheduled for between 20 and 30 minutes, including time for discussion. Discussion time can be scheduled after individual talks and/or at the end of the session.

The symposium organizer must be a 2018 VSS member, but invited speakers need not be members. All speakers are required to register for the meeting. Submitting a symposium proposal and/or speaking in a symposium does not prevent you from submitting an abstract for a talk or poster presentation at VSS. Complete submission instructions and how to submit a proposal can be found at Symposium Submissions. The quality of the speakers is important to a symposium, so scheduled speakers may not be substituted, even by coauthors. By submitting a symposium proposal, the organizers agree that all speakers will participate in the symposium and that speakers have not committed to participate in more than one symposium.

Symposia will be selected by the VSS Board of Directors on the basis of scientific merit, timeliness, theoretical innovation and/or breadth, methodological innovation and/or diversity, and overlap (less being better) with last year’s symposia and with the regular program. Symposia often benefit from a diversity of perspective and institutional affiliations. Proposals from young investigators are particularly encouraged.

For more information about submitting a symposium proposal, go to Symposium Submissions.

Proposal Deadline: November 7, 2017

Decisions will be made by November 20, 2017. Please direct any questions to .