Dr. Lace Padilla

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LAB WEBSITE
Teaching
  • Global Good Studio: Data Visualization (SP 20, Fall 21-22)
  • Judgement and Decision Making (SP 20, SP 21, Fall 21-22)
  • Professional Developement (Fall 21)

I am an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Psychology at Northeastern University and a member of the Data Visualization Lab @Khoury. My interests lie in the intersection between Information Visualization, Behavioral Decision Making, and Data Science. My research on uncertainty communication explores how to align data visualizations of future events with human decision-making capabilities. I have received the best paper award at IEEE VIS and an NSF CAREER Award. I am the PI and Co-PI on several other grants funded by NSF (#2122174, #2028374, #1810498) and DOE.

In my spare time, I am a strong advocate for minoritized groups in STEM, serving on the IEEE VIS Inclusivity Committee and the Governing Board of Spark Society. I have received several grants and awards for my diversity work.

Journal & Conference Papers

VIS 2022 (Best Paper Award): Multiple Forecast Visualizations (MFVs): Trade-offs in Trust and Performance in Multiple COVID-19 Forecast Visualizations.
Padilla, L.., Fygenson, R., Castro, S., Bertini, E.
PDF | Data + Analysis | Pre-registration
Impact of COVID-19 forecast visualizations on pandemic risk perceptions.
Padilla, L., Hosseinpour, H., Fygenson, R., Howell, J., Chunara, R., and Bertini, E.
Nature's Scientific Reports, 2022.
PDF | Data + Analysis

2022

The Science of Visual Data Communication: What Works.
Franconeri, S. L., Padilla, L., Shah, P., Zacks, J. M., and Hullman, J.
Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2021. PDF
VIS 2021: Examining Effort in 1D Uncertainty Communication Using Individual Differences in Working Memory and NASA-TLX.
Castro, S. C., Hosseinpour, H., Quinan, P. S., & Padilla, L.
PDF | Data + Analysis
VIS 2021: Conceptual metaphor and graphical convention influence the interpretation of line graphs.
Greg Woodin, Bodo Winter, Bertini, E., Padilla, L..
PDF | Data + Analysis | Pre-registration
Multiple Hazard Uncertainty Visualization Challenges and Paths Forward.
Padilla, L.., Dryhurst, S., Hosseinpour, H., & Kruczkiewicz, A.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021. PDF
A review of uncertainty visualization errors: Working memory as an explanatory theory.
Padilla, L.., Castro, S. C., & Hosseinpour, H.
The Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 2021. PDF
Uncertainty Visualization (book chapter)
Padilla, L.., Kay, M. and Hullman, J.
Computational Statistics in Data Science, 2021. PDF
CHI 2021: Mapping the Landscape of COVID-19 Crisis Visualizations
Zhang, Y., Sun, Y.,Padilla, L.., Barua, S., Bertini, E., & Parker, A. G. PDF
Uncertain About Uncertainty: How Qualitative Expressions of Forecaster Confidence Impact Decision-Making with Uncertainty Visualizations
Padilla, L.., Powell, M., Kay, M., & Hullman, J.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021.
PDF | Data + Analysis
Through the eyes of the expert: Evaluating holistic processing in architects through gaze-contingent viewing
Ivy, S., Rohovit, T., Lavelle, M., Padilla, L.., Stefanucci, J., Stokes, D., & Drew, T.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2021. PDF

2020

APA CAREER Award: The Powerful Influence of Marks: Visual and Knowledge-Driven Processing in Hurricane Track Displays.
Padilla, L.., Creem-Regehr, S. H., & Thompson, W.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 2020.
PDF | Data + Analysis
Factors Predicting Willingness to Share COVID-19 Misinformation
Lobato, Emilio J. C., Maia Powell, Lace M. K. Padilla., and Colin Holbrook.
Frontiers in Psychology, 2020. PDF
Using Behavioral Insights to Improve Disaster Preparedness, Early Warning and Response Mechanisms in Haiti (English)
Llopis Abella, J., Perge, B,. Afif, Z., Soto O.,, Ruth, C., Padilla, L, Hsu, J.
PDF

2019

VIS 2019: Toward objective evaluation of working memory in visualizations: A case study using pupillometry and a dual-task paradigm
Padilla, L., Castro, S. C., Quinan, P. S., Ruginski, I. T., & Creem-Regehr, S. H.
PDF | Data + Analysis
Examining Explicit Discretization in Spectral Schemes
Quinan, P., Padilla, L., Creem-Regehr, S., & Meyer, M.
Computer Graphics Forum, 2019. PDF

2018

Decision Making with Visualizations: A Cognitive Framework Across Disciplines
Padilla, L., Creem-Regehr, S. H., Hegarty, M., & Stefanucci, J. K.
Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 2018. PDF
VIS 2018:Visualizing uncertain tropical cyclone predictions using representative samples from ensembles of forecast tracks
Liu, L., Padilla, L., Creem-Regehr, S. H., & House, D. H.
PDF | Visualization Technique Code | Data + Analysis

2017

Effects of Ensemble and Summary Displays on Interpretations of Geospatial Uncertainty Data
Padilla, L., Ruginski, I., Creem-Regehr, S. H.
Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 2017.
PDF | Data + Analysis
Sex Differences in Virtual Navigation Influenced by Scale and Navigation Experience
Padilla, L., Creem-Regehr, S. H., Stefanucci, J. K., & Cashdan, E. A.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2017.
PDF | Data + Analysis
VIS 2017: Uncertainty Visualization by Representative Sampling from Prediction Ensembles
Liu, L., Boone, A. P., Ruginski, I. T., Padilla, L., Hegarty, M., Creem-Regehr, S. H., & House, D. H.
PDF

2016

Non-expert Interpretations of Hurricane Forecast Uncertainty Visualizations
Ruginski, I. T., Boone, A. P., Padilla, L., Liu, L., Heydari, N., Kramer, H. S., & Creem-Regehr, S. H.
Spatial Cognition & Computation, 2016.
PDF | Data
VIS 2016: Evaluating the Impact of Binning 2D Scalar Fields
Padilla, L., Quinan, P. S., Meyer, M., & Creem-Regehr, S. H.
PDF | Data
Mobility and Navigation among the Yucatec Maya
Ashdan, E., Kramer, K. L., Davis, H. E., Padilla, L., & Greaves, R. D.
Human Nature, 2016. PDF
Sex differences in mobility and spatial cognition
Vashro, L., Padilla, L., & Cashdan, E.
Human Nature, 2016. PDF

2015

The influence of different graphical displays on nonexpert decision making under uncertainty
Padilla, L., Hansen, G., Ruginski, I. T., Kramer, H. S., Thompson, W. B., & Creem-Regehr, S. H.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 2015. PDF