PhD Student – Perception, Display and Fabrication Lab USI, CH · started Jun ’24
Research focus: perception-driven optimization of graphics content for novel displays (vision science, computer graphics); supervised by Prof. Piotr Didyk
Sophie Kergaßner
I am a PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Piotr Didyk at Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland. My research interests lie at the intersection of human vision and computer graphics. More specifically, I am interested in the quantification of human vision and – based on these insights – the clever manipulation of images to improve their visual quality without increasing computational effort.
I am a PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Piotr Didyk at Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland. My research interests lie at the intersection of human vision and computer graphics. More specifically, I am interested in the quantification of human vision and – based on these insights – the clever manipulation of images to improve their visual quality without increasing computational effort.
Education
2024–
2021–2024
Master’s Degree Audiovisual Media (M.Eng.) Stuttgart Media University, DE
Final grade: 1.2; with distinction; thesis resulted in a publication
Focus: computer graphics
Exchange to IADE Lisbon, PT; Sep ’22–Feb ’23
Final grade: 1.2; with distinction; thesis resulted in a publication
Focus: computer graphics
Exchange to IADE Lisbon, PT; Sep ’22–Feb ’23
2017–2021
Bachelor’s Degree Audiovisual Media (B.Eng.) Stuttgart Media University, DE
Final grade: 1.1; with distinction; thesis resulted in a publication
Focus: computer graphics and interactive technologies
Final grade: 1.1; with distinction; thesis resulted in a publication
Focus: computer graphics and interactive technologies
Publications
2026
2026
IS&T Electronic Imaging (Human Vision and Electronic Imaging)
, Piotr Didyk
The Impact of Blur on Motion Parallax and Binocular Disparity
Best Student Paper Award
, Piotr Didyk
The Impact of Blur on Motion Parallax and Binocular Disparity
Best Student Paper Award
2025
ACM SIGGRAPH Conference
, Taimoor Tariq, Piotr Didyk
Understanding Depth Perception in Foveated Rendering
, Taimoor Tariq, Piotr Didyk
Understanding Depth Perception in Foveated Rendering
2024
ACM Mensch und Computer
, Nina Doerr, Markus Wieland, Martin Fuchs, Michael Sedlmair
HiveFive360: Extending the VR Gaze Guidance Technique HiveFive to Highlight Out-Of-FOV Targets
Best Paper Award (Honorable Mention)
, Nina Doerr, Markus Wieland, Martin Fuchs, Michael Sedlmair
HiveFive360: Extending the VR Gaze Guidance Technique HiveFive to Highlight Out-Of-FOV Targets
Best Paper Award (Honorable Mention)
Experience
2025
Participant, International Summer School for Computer Vision
Competitive admission (~35%), attended lectures by leading academics and
industry practitioners covering a broad range of computer vision topics
Competitive admission (~35%), attended lectures by leading academics and
industry practitioners covering a broad range of computer vision topics
2021 – 2024
Working Student, Visualization & Prototyping Transsolar · Jan ’21–Aug ’22 & Nov ’23–Apr ’24
Exploratory R&D prototyping for climate engineering: developed interactive tools
(JavaScript/TypeScript/Unity-based data visualization tools); produced 2D visuals
Exploratory R&D prototyping for climate engineering: developed interactive tools
(JavaScript/TypeScript/Unity-based data visualization tools); produced 2D visuals
2019 – 2020
Intern, Graphics – Postproduction & Exhibitions storz&escherich · Oct ’19–Feb ’20
Worked on 2D/3D graphics and real-time interactive prototypes
Worked on 2D/3D graphics and real-time interactive prototypes
Awards & Honors
2025
Top 10 Fast Forward, Audience Choice, SIGGRAPH 2025
For “Towards Understanding Depth Perception in Foveated Rendering”
For “Towards Understanding Depth Perception in Foveated Rendering”
2024
Best Paper Award (Honorable Mention), ACM MUC
For “HiveFive360: Extending the VR Gaze Guidance Technique HiveFive to Highlight Out-Of-FOV Targets”
For “HiveFive360: Extending the VR Gaze Guidance Technique HiveFive to Highlight Out-Of-FOV Targets”
2024
Etzold Prize Nominee
Nominated for the best and most innovative thesis at Stuttgart Media University
Nominated for the best and most innovative thesis at Stuttgart Media University
2021, 2022
Awards for Student Projects
I mainly worked in the real-time graphics/signal processing department on the projects listed below.
2022 – ADC Shortlist Award (Communication Arts) for the project “Psychotrop”
2021 – CommAwards Finalist / Shortlist (Talent Space) for the project “Somnium”
2021 – ADC Shortlist Award (Communication Arts) for the project “Somnium”
I mainly worked in the real-time graphics/signal processing department on the projects listed below.
2022 – ADC Shortlist Award (Communication Arts) for the project “Psychotrop”
2021 – CommAwards Finalist / Shortlist (Talent Space) for the project “Somnium”
2021 – ADC Shortlist Award (Communication Arts) for the project “Somnium”
2020
Nominated for a Scholarship – German Academic Scholarship Foundation
University-nominated for the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) scholarship
University-nominated for the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) scholarship
2018
Mensa International Member, MinD-Hochschul-Netzwerk
Admitted to Mensa International;
Active in the MinD-Hochschul-Netzwerk, an open community for students, professors, and alumni
Admitted to Mensa International;
Active in the MinD-Hochschul-Netzwerk, an open community for students, professors, and alumni
2017
Abitur (Highschool)-Awards
Award for best graduate;
German Mathematical Society (DMV) graduation award for best graduate in mathematics;
German Chemical Society (GDCH) graduation award for best graduate in chemistry
Award for best graduate;
German Mathematical Society (DMV) graduation award for best graduate in mathematics;
German Chemical Society (GDCH) graduation award for best graduate in chemistry
Teaching
Mar 2025–
Teaching Assistant for “Computer Graphics”
Sep 2024–
Teaching Assistant for “Digital Image and Video Processing”
Conducting excersise classes with the students, explaining concepts of the lecture and answering questions, developing and grading assignments and exams
Conducting excersise classes with the students, explaining concepts of the lecture and answering questions, developing and grading assignments and exams
Academic Service
2025
Reviewing for IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics
2025
Reviewing for Vision Research
Leadership & Volunteering
2025 –
PhD Student Representative
Elected representative for the PhD student body in the Faculty of Informatics
Elected representative for the PhD student body in the Faculty of Informatics
2025 –
Erasmus Student Network Lugano – Volunteer
Organizing social and cultural events to help integrate international students into campus and city life
Organizing social and cultural events to help integrate international students into campus and city life
2024
Co-Organizer of the Neural Wave AI Hackathon
Organization of a hackathon for 65 people in cooperiation with Università della Svizzera italiana with a
budget of ~20.000CHF and an orginization committee of 10 students
Organization of a hackathon for 65 people in cooperiation with Università della Svizzera italiana with a
budget of ~20.000CHF and an orginization committee of 10 students
2023
Appointments Committee – Student Representative
Student representative during the faculty search for the position “IT-Based Media Systems”
Student representative during the faculty search for the position “IT-Based Media Systems”
2022 – 2024
Study Commission – Student Representative
Student representative on the Study Commission for the master’s program “Audiovisual Media”
Student representative on the Study Commission for the master’s program “Audiovisual Media”
2020 – 2022
Beekeeping and Sustainability Volunteer
Maintained multiple beehives and supported sustainability initiatives for the student dormitory
Maintained multiple beehives and supported sustainability initiatives for the student dormitory
2019
Dormitory Spokesperson (Straussäcker 1)
Represented the residence; responsible for finances, planning, and execution of the summer festival
(~3,000 participants, €20,000+)
Represented the residence; responsible for finances, planning, and execution of the summer festival
(~3,000 participants, €20,000+)
2015 – 2017
Tutor for Mathematics and Chemistry
Tutored students in grades 5–10
Tutored students in grades 5–10