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.

Avi Aizenman (2025) Record Keeper

Amy Bucklaew (2026)

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)

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.

Jessica 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.