Vision Perception Expert Witness

Human Factors Expert:

Accidents involving visual perception, human error and human factors: highway, reading, eyewitness ID, warnings, conspicuity, visibility, medical and medical device error, computer screens, reaction time.

Current Positions

Co-Principal Visual Expert-Ergo/Gero Human Factors Science

Adjunct Professor York University Centre for Vision Research Adjunct Professor University of West Virginia Medical School

Ophthalmology Dept. Adjunct Professor Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology Yeshiva University, New York.

Guest Lecturer Osgoode School of Law, York University

Education

1971­-1977 Northeastern University Ph.D. in Psychology

1966­-1969 University of Pittsburgh B.A. in Psychology

1965-1966 Syracuse University Major in Engineering Ph. D. Dissertation: “Comparison

of Two Models of Visual Coding”

Master’s Thesis: “Signal Detection Theory Analysis of Reaction Times”

Professional Affiliations

Human Factors and Ergonomic Society

Transportation Technical Group

Aging Technical Group

Safety Technical Group

Forensic Professional

Forensic professional Technical Group

Society Risk Analysis: Risk Science & Law Specialty Group

Toronto Chapter of the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Human Interaction Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (Past Member)

Society for Information Display (Past Member)

Optical Society of America (Past Member)

Psychonomic Society (Past Member)

Society for Photo and Illuminating Engineering (Past member)

Eastern Psychological Association (Past Member)

Media

Interviewed on Canadian Broadcasting Company radio about visual displays at airports and stores (8 June 2000)

Interviewed in New Yorker magazine (11 June 2001, available on-line) about attention and automobile accidents

Interviewed on CTV, a national TV network in Canada, on driver distraction and “inattentional blindness” (2 November 2001)

Interviewed by The National Post on attention and automobile accidents (9 November 2001).

Advisor to NBC Dateline on an upcoming program on “inattentional blindness” and accidents (date unspecified). Consulting Experience

Current: Visual Expert-Ergo/Gero Human Factors Science: 

Forensic Human Factors (Full list Available upon Request) Typical cases include:

(Consultant to defendant). Issue was whether nighttime tractor-trailer driver could have braked in time to avoid collision.

(Consultant to plaintiff.) Issue was whether lack of lighting caused a fall down steps.

(Consultant to defendant). Issue was vision of older driver in the rain at night in pedestrian knock down.

(Consultant to Plaintiff), and Grant Brown National Leasing. Civil Action. Issue was night visibility in bicycle-automobile collision.

(Consultant to plaintiff). Issue was visibility and driver distraction when driver struck and killed a pedestrian. Matter in progress.

(Consultant to defendant) Matter in process. Issue was reaction time to fire a rifle. Disposition unknown

(Consultant to defendant) Matter in process. Issue was effect of light on validity of eyewitness identification. Disposition unknown.

Human Factors Design/Evaluation Previous

2000-curr Human Factors Software Research Associates

1997-1998 Human Factors Consultant, IBM.

1996-1997 Human factors Contract with US Air Force. 1996-1996 Human Factors Consultant, SPSS.

1995-1996 Human Factors Consultant, Fidelity Investments 1994-1995 Human Factors Contract with US Air Force.

1994 Human Factors Consultant, Source EDP:

1992-94 Human Factors Consultant, Norpark Research.

1988-90 Group Leader Artificial Intelligence R&D, Spar Aerospace: Previous Academic Teaching

1989-94 Faculty Member Trent Univ. (Computer Studies/Psychology) Perception/Human Factors research & teaching

1987-88 Visiting Research Scientist Carnegie Mellon Univ. (Computer Science) Research in human factors and expert systems

1986-87 Associate Professor University of Louisville (Psychology)Perception/Human Factors research & teaching

1984-86 Visiting Faculty York University Canada (Psychology) Perception/Human Factors research & teaching

1983-84 Visiting Faculty Member Indiana University (Optometry) Perceptual Research, teach physiological optics

1981-83 Visiting Faculty Univ. of Toronto Canada (Psychology)Cognitive/visual/human factors research & teaching

1980 Summer Visiting Scientist Albert Ludwig Univ., Germany (Neurology)Vision research.

1978-81 Research Faculty Univ. Cal., Berkeley (Optometry) Vision Research.

1977-78 Postdoctoral Fellow Brown University (Psychology)

Grants & Contracts Awarded

1996 A. S. Air Force Research Contract

1995 U. S. Air Force Research Contract

1990 National Science and Engineering Research Committee Grant

1989 Trent National Science & Engineering Research Committee Research Grant

1984 National Eye Institute Research Grant

1981 Connaught Research Grant

1978 National Science Foundation Research Grant

1977 National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship

1971 National Defense Administration Predoctoral Fellowship Scientific Experience

Books

Available upon request