Student-Postdoc Advisory Committee

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.

Current SPC members are indicated below. Terms end in May of the year shown.

Celine Aubuchon (2028)

Justus-Liebig-University Giessen

Celine Aubuchon is a PhD student at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, working with Dr. Roland W. Fleming to investigate surface perception. Specifically, she is interested in describing the core computational processes that underlie our ability to perceive 3D surface shape and material, using combined approaches of image analysis, psychophysics, and computational modeling. As a member of the SPC, Celine strives to foster research and development opportunities that target the needs of all early career researchers, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Victoria Jacoby (2027) Record Keeper

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Victoria Jacoby is a postdoctoral scholar working with Dr. Jeremy Wolfe at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on visual attention, visual search, and perceptual expertise, with a particular emphasis on understanding the visual and perceptual processes involved in medical image perception. As a member of the SPC, Victoria is dedicated to advocating for early career researchers and fostering inclusivity and accessibility within the VSS community.

Vladislav Khvostov (2027) Board Liason

The Ohio State University

Vladislav Khvostov is a postdoctoral scholar working with Dr. Julie Golomb at the Ohio State University. He studies ensemble perception – the visual system’s ability to extract statistical information from groups of objects (ensembles). He is interested in how people consciously represent ensembles, and how these representations interact with other cognitive processes. As an SPC member, Vladislav is eager to help create an environment in which early-career researchers can confidently engage, connect, and thrive.

Molly McKinney (2027) Chair

Texas A&M University

Molly McKinney is a graduate student fellow in the Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience doctoral program at Texas A&M University working with Dr. Brian Anderson. She collaboratively investigates questions relating to attentional priority and the strategic control of attention using behavioral, psychophysical, and computational modeling methods. Her current research focus is to understand how to intrinsically motivate optimal visual search strategies as well as how and when these strategies develop. As a member of the SPC, she aims to represent the needs and concerns of post-baccalaureate and graduate students navigating non-linear career paths, particularly in ensuring access to financial and training resources for stability and successful transition through a long career in science!

Jongmin Moon (2028)

The University of Texas at Austin

Jongmin Moon is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Perceptual Systems at UT Austin. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea. His research integrates psychophysical, computational, and electrophysiological approaches to investigate how the brain uses statistical structures to encode and transform sensory information. As a member of the SPC, Jongmin is committed to supporting early career researchers navigating transitions across career stages or research areas within VSS.

Valorie Wiseman (2028)

Florida Atlantic University

Valorie Wiseman is a Ph.D. candidate at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, where she works with Dr. Sang Wook Hong and Dr. Summer Sheremata. Her research investigates visual crowding, which is considered a fundamental limit of visual attention. Specifically, she focuses on visual field and hemispheric asymmetries in attention and short-term memory. As a member of the Student/Postdoc Committee, Valorie is excited to collaborate with fellow members and support early-career vision scientists in their professional development.