Attendees of the 25th Symposium of the International Colour Vision Society, Riga, Latvia, 7–9 July 2019

Numerous classical papers on human color vision have appeared in the Journal of the Optical Society of America since its inaugural issue in 1917. The first volume alone included papers by luminaries such as Leonard Troland, Perley G. Nutting, Herbert E. Ives, and Loyd A. Jones. It is an honor to continue in this scientific tradition. The field of color vision has expanded since those early days as illustrated by this feature issue which spans basic science and applied approaches to the study of color vision, including perception and psychophysics, physiology and anatomy, functional imaging, genetics, and color vision deficiencies. The 34 papers to follow in this feature issue are based upon open solicitation for contributions and were subjected to rigorous peer review.

A number of the papers in this feature issue were originally presented at the 2019 Symposium of the International Colour Vision Society (ICVS) held in Riga, Latvia, July 5–9, 2019. The symposium was attended by 151 scientists from 19 countries. We are grateful to the Local Organizers—Sergejs Fomins (chair), Ilze Ceple, Zane Jansone, Evita Kassaliete, Maris Ozolinsh, and Renārs Trukša—for their tireless efforts to provide an attractive and productive venue, and also to the Scientific Committee—Marina Danilova, Anya Hurlbert, Jan Kremers, Galina V. Paramei, Neil Parry, John S. Werner—for excellent scientific support. We acknowledge the UL Institute of Solid State Physics and the Department of Optometry and Vision Science for their support and warm hospitality. The ICVS welcomes individuals at all levels of career development, including students. For further information, see https://www.icvs.info. We invite all those interested in color vision to join us for the next Biennial Symposium to be held in Heraklion, Island of Crete, Greece, in July 2021.

The editors thank the contributors and referees who have made this issue possible in a timely manner. We also thank P. Scott Carney, Editor-in-Chief of JOSA A, and the efficient OSA staff for their untiring support.

Professor Michael Webster

2019 Verriest Medal Awarded to Professor Michael Webster

The International Colour Vision Society bestowed its highest award to Professor Michael Webster at the 25th Biennal Symposium held at the University of Latvia in July 2019. This award was established in 1991 in memory of Guy Verriest (Ghent University, Belgium), the first President of the Society, known originally as the International Research Group on Colour Vision Deficiencies. The Society has since expanded its purview and honors outstanding contributions in any area of color vision research.

Professor Webster’s interest in color vision is rooted in his undergraduate work at the University of California, San Diego. He went on to a Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and then was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cambridge, UK. In 1994 he joined the faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he rapidly rose to a Foundation Professorship in the Department of Psychology with affiliations to graduate programs in Cognitive & Brain

Sciences and Integrative Neuroscience, which he helped found and co-directs. He also directs the university’s Center for Integrative Neuroscience (an NIH COBRE grant) and has helped to establish a thriving vision science community at the university.

Professor Webster’s research on color vison includes a stream of influential papers over the past 30 years. Two themes recur over the decades: adaptation and individual differences. His novel adaptation designs have advanced our understanding of the multiple pathways that mediate color perception, including color constancy and changes across the life span. The comprehensive breadth of his work on individual differences encompasses color matching, unique hues, and color naming. He has also made exceptional contributions to his peers and the field by serving on NSF and NIH grant review panels, as an editor of Vision Research, as the color vision editor for the Journal of the Optical Society of America A, and as chair of the Color Technical Group of the Optical Society of America. He recently was elected to the board of directors of both the Vision Sciences Society and ICVS, reflecting the high regard of his colleagues. Professor Webster is a fellow of the Optical Society of America.