Fluorescent Fridays: Spotlight on RIT Munsell Color Science Lab

Spotlighting the Munsell Color Science Laboratory and Research

Join us as faculty and students from the Munsell Color Science Laboratory (MCSL) at Rochester Institute of Technology present ongoing research that studies the human perception of color, lighting, and its applications. Topics will include work modeling color and light adaptation, harnessing low-cost lighting and imaging systems for the purpose of preserving cultural heritage, and investigating whether the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect extends to LED lighting.

Presenters:

• Christopher Thorstenson, Assistant Professor, Color Science
• Che Shen, Ph.D. candidate
• Leah Humenuck Ph.D. candidate

• Sofie Herbeck Ph.D. student
  

• Saeedeh Abasi Ph.D. student

Itinerary:

1-1:05pm: Introduction - John Seymour / host (John will introduce the speaker before each presentation).

1:05 - 1:15 pm (10 minutes): Christopher Thorstenson / overview of the MCSL and RIT campus, overview of research

1:15 - 1:25 pm (10 minutes): Che Shen / Chromatic adaptation

1:25 - 1:35 pm (10 minutes): Leah Humenuck / Beyond RGB in imaging cultural heritage

1:35 - 1:50 pm (15 minutes): Sophie, Saeedeh / HK effect in LED lighting;

1:50 - 2:00 pm: Q&A with audience

Christopher Thorstenson is an Assistant Professor in the Program of Color Science and Munsell Science Laboratory at Rochester Institute of Technology. He received an M.S. in Color Science from RIT, a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from University of Rochester, and worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on how the human visual system, with an emphasis on color perception, works to perceive and evaluate people and artificial social agents, including social robots, avatars, and emojis, in both real and virtual environments. Currently he is the head of the Faces, Avatars, & Robots Lab at RIT, teaches graduate-level computational vision and research methods courses at RIT, and supervises graduate student research. He also serves on the editorial board for Color Research and Application and Frontiers in Perception Science, and the board of directors for the Inter-Society Color Council.

Che Shen is a Ph.D. candidate in the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at Rochester Institute of Technology. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Gem and Material Engineering from Hebei GEO University in 2016 and his Master of Science degree in Gemology from China  University of Geosciences in 2019. His current research focuses on topics such as chromatic adaptation, observer metamerism, individual color matching functions, and unique hue perception. In addition to his academic pursuits, he serves as a Technical Committee Member at CIE Division 8 (8-18), demonstrating his commitment to the advancement of HDR research.

Leah Humenuck is a PhD candidate in Color Science at the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at Rochester Institute of Technology. She holds a BS in Chemistry from Sweet Briar College and an MA with honors in Conservation from West Dean College of Arts and Conservation.  Leah’s research interests are in imaging, color reproduction, and lighting with focus on cultural heritage use. She is also a book and paper conservator which informs her color science research of archival items.

Sofie Herbeck is a PhD student in the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology. They hold a B.A. in Computer Science and Theatre from the University of California, Berkeley. Sofie’s previous research experience was in probing color vision at the level of individual cone photoreceptors (aided by adaptive optics); their current research interests are still developing, but revolve around chromatic adaptation and lighting.

 

Saeedeh Abasi is a PhD student at the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She received her B.S., M.S. and PhD degrees in Textile Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology. Her research interests are color science and image processing. She is currently working on hue scales and brightness quantification. 

MCSL lighting students will be presenting a class research project studying the Helmholtz-Kohlrausch (HK) Effect, which suggests that some hues appear brighter than their luminance alone would predict. The HK effect has been studied for reflective colors and emissive displays, while this project is testing whether it behaves in a similar way for LED illumination. 

FLUORESCENT FRIDAYS is a platform for university students from all disciplines to network with color professionals and fellow students, and to explore cutting-edge information about color’s role in our lives and applications in the world. 

Global Student Chapter: The long range goal is to build a global student chapter that positions color as a multidimensional STEAM model (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math), sharing up-to-date color research by scientists, artists, designers, industry professionals, and university students.21st century color communication requires a commitment to building bridges for sharing resources, cultivating mentors, and creating new opportunities. With up-to-date information and useful tools, students become the next generation of leaders in ever-evolving color related disciplines.