Deborah J. Aks
1 Hurley St  Keyport, NJ 07735  debaks@gmail.com (848) 702-8713
Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science  Piscataway, NJ 
daks@rci.rutgers.edu
http://rci.rutgers.edu/~daks/Aks2014cv.docx
Career Objectives
 Collaborative, cross-disciplinary research in human perception and cognition.
 Designing experiments involving search, tracking, and the dynamics of various behaviors:
Gaze patterns, Response Time, Discrimination & Detection tasks; Cross-modal Attention
Education
1985-1993
1980-1984
M.A. & Ph.D.– Experimental Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
B.A. – Psychology, State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, N.Y
Academic positions
2005-Current Research Associate -- Rutgers University: Center for Cognitive Science
1993-2005
Associate & Assistant Professor of Psychology – University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
Areas of expertise: Perceptual & Cognitive Science, Research Methodology, Data Analysis
Profile
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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 :
Research & Experimental Design
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Problem solving
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Data Analysis
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Distance education
Teaching & Mentoring
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Tutorials
Professional presentations
Publications
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1993-2005
2006-2012
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Web-design
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http://aks.rutgers.edu
My history of Web Development
Recent Activites (2009-2014)
Collaborative Research, Teaching, & Advising
My research at Rutgers University has been a blend of teaching, and mentoring many students,, and collaboration
with Zenon Pylyshyn. The close working relationship I maintain with undergraduate and graduate students, has
culminated in various research presentation noted below.
Freelance Writing: Technology & Cognitive Science
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 Workshop Speaker
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. 4th University of Connecticut Workshop on Cognition & Dynamics, Storrs, CT.
Invited Chapters
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)
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Meeting Presentations & Published Abstracts:
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 eyemovements 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.
References: Available upon request.
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