Areas of expertise: 

• Perceptual & Cognitive Science, Research Methodology, Data Analysis, Dynamics of human behavior.
• Experimental design & supervision of projects involving visual search and object tracking,
• University Teaching & Mentoring

Education

1985-1993        M.A. & Ph.D.– Experimental Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. 
1980-1984        B.A. – Psychology, State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, N.Y 

Academic positions

2013-Current.  Instructor/ Research Mentor--Cognitive Science
2006-Current   Research Associate -- Rutgers University: Center for Cognitive Science
1993-2005       Tenured Associate Professor of Psychology – University of Wisconsin – Whitewater

Profile

• 25+ years of university teaching and research experience. 
• Developed, organized & supervised over 70 research projects.
• Set up & supervised (1) Eye-tracking laboratory at Rutgers University (2005-present), and
• (2) Computer instructional laboratory at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater (1995-2005) used extensively in my Research Methods and other University courses.
• Taught students critical reasoning skills, and how to conduct methodical experiments to answer scientific questions.
• Lead many tutorials, lectures & discussion groups.

Skills & Interests

Recent Activites (2009-2014)

Collaborative Research, Teaching, & Advising 

My research at Rutgers University has been a blend of teaching, and mentoring undergraduate & graduate students.  Much of this work has been done in collaboration with Zenon Pylyshyn, and has culminated in research presentations listed below. 

Teaching:   2006 to 2015:  

• Spring 2015:  Instructor.  SAS Honors Seminar at Rutgers University: Applying Cognitive Science to real & virtual worlds. 
• Fall 2014 & 2015: Instructor.  Byrne Freshman Seminar at Rutgers University: Applying Cognitive Science to real & virtual worlds.
• Summer 2014 & 2015:  Instructor.  Adult Sailing Instruction at Keyport Yacht Club, 115 Front St. Keyport, NJ 
• Summer 2013:  Instructor.  Cognitive Science: An interdisciplinary Approach.   Hybrid Undergraduate Course (Online & In-class).

Research (2009-2014)

• Eye-tracking; Attention & Perception
• Multiple Object Tracking and Visual Search.
• Search and Tracking dynamics
• Application of non-linear based analyses (i.e., Fractal & Recurrence Analyses)

Invited Speaker (2009-2014)

• Aks, D.J. (October 2-3 2014).  Dynamics of visual behavior: Gaze & performance patterns in object tracking & visual search.  Conference on Complex Systems and the Sciences of the Mind. San Diego State University. 
• Aks, D.J. (July 25, 2013). Visual Recurrence Analysis: Overview & application to eye-movement behavior used in tracking objects.  International Meeting of Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences (SCTPLS). Workshop on Nonlinear Methods. Portland, Oregon.
• Aks, D.J. (July 25, 2013 & Aug 4-6, 2011). Analysis of recurrence: Overview & application to eye-movement behavior.  International Meeting of Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences (SCTPLS). Workshop on Nonlinear Methods. Orange, CA. (11) 19.
• Aks, D., Pylyshyn, Z., & Haladjian, H. (Aug 14, 2009). Complementarity of classical & dynamical views of perception, cognition & action.  4^th University of Connecticut Workshop on Cognition & Dynamics, Storrs, CT.

Invited Chapters (2009-2014)

• Aks, D., (2011). Analysis of recurrence: Overview & application to eye-movement behavior. Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Analysis of human behavior.(Chap. 10). NY: Cambridge University Press.
• Aks, D. J. (2009). Studying temporal and spatial patterns in perceptual behavior: Implications for dynamical structure. In S. Guastello, M. Koopmans, & D. Pincus (Eds.), Chaos and Complexity in Psychology: The Theory of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (Chap. 5). NY: Cambridge University Press.

Meeting Demonstration of Visual-Perceptual Illusion

• Deborah J. Aks, Hristyian Kourtev, Harry Haladjian, and Zenon Pylyshyn, Rutgers University; Jiye Shen, SR-Research Ltd. (May, 2011). Blink-Induced-Blindness (BIB) in Multiple-Object-Tracking (MOT) shows when vision does not extrapolate. (http://www.visionsciences.org/demo_night.html)

Meeting Presentations & Published Abstracts (2009-2014):

• Aks, D.J., Singh, N., Naqvi, M.,  Mohan, S., Patel, V., Pylyshyn, Z.W. (2014a). Exploration of the Halt-Move effect for occluded objects in Multiple Object Tracking: Tests of masking, cuing and item displacement. Journal of Vision, 14, 1551
• Naqvi, M.,  Aks, D.J. , Mohan, S., Emeana, C., Canuto, H., Pylyshyn, Z.W. (2014b) Studying the effect of eye-movements and interruptions in Multiple Object Tracking. Journal of Vision, 14, 1512
• Aks, D.J.,  Naqvi, M., Zish, K., Planer, R., Kevin Zish, Pylyshyn, Z. (May, 2013). Role of attention, eye‐movements, and landmarks in tracking an occluded object.  Journal of Vision, 13(9): 1278. 
• Naqvi, M.,  Zish, K., Planer, R., Aks, D.J. &  Pylyshyn (May, 2012). Effect of Occlusion and Landmarks on single object tracking during disrupted viewing. Journal of Vision, 12, 1404.
• Aks, D.J., Alley, L. Rathakrishnan, V., Kourtev, H., Haladjian, H. Pylyshyn, Z. (May, 2011). When vision loses its "grip" on tracked objects: Lessons from studying gaze-to-item dynamics..  Journal of Vision, 11(11), 276.
• Alley, L. Rathakrishnan, V., Harman, C., Kourtev, H., Haladjian, H., Aks, D.J., Pylyshyn, Z. (May, 2011). Tracking objects and tracking our eyes during disrupted viewing. Journal of Vision, 11(11), 277a.
• Elfanagely, O., Haladjian, H., Pylyshyn, Z., Aks, D.J. (May, 2011). Eye-movement dynamics of object-tracking . Journal of Vision, 11(11), 280a. 
• Harman, C., Haladjian, H., Aks, D.J., Pylyshyn, Z. (May, 2011). Spatial compression in localization of enumerated stimuli: Does pointing or eye movements play a role? . Journal of Vision, 11(11), 254a.
• Aks, D.J ., Haladjian, H., Kosmides, A., Annamraju, S., Kourtev, H. & Pylyshyn, Z. (May, 2010). Blink-induced masking and its effect on Multiple Object Tracking: It’s easier to track those that stop during interrupted viewing. Journal of Vision, 10(7),301a.
• Aks, D.J., Haladjian, H., Pylyshyn, Z., & Hakkinen, A. (May, 2009). Eye-blinks and Eye-tracking. Journal of Vision, 9(8):249, 249a.

Additional:

• Research & Teaching (prior to 2009)
• Freelance Writing: Technology & Cognitive Science