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<div>The submission deadline has been extended to Monday, September 21, 2015.</div>
<div><font size="2"><span style="font-size:11pt;"><a href="http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/2015/"><font size="5" color="#0563C1"><span style="font-size:18pt;"><u>http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/2015/</u></span></font></a><font size="5"><span style="font-size:18pt;">
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<div><font size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;">IEEE VGTC Visualization Pioneers Group (<a href="http://vgtc.org/content/ieee-vgtc-visualization-pioneers-group">http://vgtc.org/content/ieee-vgtc-visualization-pioneers-group</a>) is collaborating with ACT
(<a href="http://act.org">http://act.org</a>) this year to host the second IEEE VGTC VPG International Data-Visualization Contest. If you are a student, teacher, or parent that cares about the state of today's education, if you think you have what it takes
to solve the "perceived vs. actual student interest" mystery, please consider entering the 2015 Data Visualization Contest. The winner of the contest will receive, among other prizes, a chance to see their work being applied to ACT's data analysis, product
development, and/or marketing/promotional efforts. The submission deadline is Monday, September 21, 2015.</span></font></div>
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<div><font face="inherit" size="6" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:22.5pt;">Call for Participation, 2015 </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><b>The IEEE VGTC VPG International Data-Visualization Contest<br>
</b><b><i>Contest Theme: Perceived vs. Actual Student Interest<br>
</i></b><b><i>Collaborator and Support: </i></b><a href="http://www.act.org/"><font color="#428BCA"><b><i>ACT, Inc.</i></b></font></a> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="red"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><b>DEADLINE</b>: Monday, September 21, 2015</span></font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">The <a href="http://vgtc.org/"><font color="#0563C1"><u>IEEE Visualization and Graphics Technical Committee (VGTC)</u></font></a> is sponsoring its second International Data-Visualization
Contest to recognize outstanding design in visualization and visual analytics from around the world. The 2015 contest theme is “<b>Perceived vs. Actual Student Interest</b>.” The contest will be administrated by the <a href="http://vgtc.org/content/ieee-vgtc-visualization-pioneers-group"><font color="#0563C1"><u>IEEE
Visualization Pioneers Group (VPG)</u></font></a> under the auspices of IEEE VGTC and in collaboration with <a href="http://www.act.org/"><font color="#0563C1"><u>ACT</u></font></a>, Inc. (ACT is a non-profit organization in the education readiness assessment
sector.) The awards will be announced at the IEEE VPG Reception to be held at the <a href="http://ieeevis.org/"><font color="#0563C1"><u>IEEE VIS 2015</u></font></a> conference. You are not required to attend either the VIS 2015 conference or the VPG reception
to participate in the contest. </span></font></div>
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<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Contest Challenge: Perceived vs. Actual Student Interest</b> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">The importance of selecting and pursuing a major or career that fits a student’s interests and passions cannot be overstated. ACT’s research has shown that over time, students
tend to declare the same or similar majors in their first year of college as their indicated planned major. However, ACT also has data regarding students’ measured—rather than self-reported—interests and has developed a “fit index” that can help accurately
predict success based on their fit with selected or intended majors. </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">VPG’s contest challenge is to develop a visual representation of <i>Interest Perceived vs. Actual</i> data that helps to relate the complexities of how students’ measured interests
match with their indicated plans, declared majors, or their persistence into their sophomore year. Topics of interest include but are not limited to: </span></font></div>
<ul style="margin:0;padding-left:36pt;">
<font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
<li>Which majors are most affected by the influx/outflux of students?</li><li>Which majors have had an increase or decrease in measured interest over time?</li><li>Which majors have experienced differences in follow-through of students over time?</li></span></font>
</ul>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">Interested parties can read relevant literature online, such as <a href="http://www.act.org/emtrends/12/interestmajor.html"><font color="#0563C1"><u>http://www.act.org/emtrends/12/interestmajor.html</u></font></a>
and start planning their contest entries. </span></font></div>
<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Contest Data </b></span></font></div>
<ul style="margin:0;padding-left:36pt;">
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<li><a href="http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/2015/student_flow_aggregated_file.csv"><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#0563C1"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><u>CSV data file</u></span></font></a><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
(corrected July 17, 2015 - "15-Jan" was changed to "1-15")</span></font></li><li><a href="http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/2015/student_flow_aggregated_file.xlsx"><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#0563C1"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><u>XLSX data file</u></span></font></a><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
(same as CSV, but in Excel format)</span></font></li><li><a href="http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/2015/student_flow_aggregated_data_file_summary.pdf"><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#0563C1"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><u>PDF File Summary</u></span></font></a></li><li><a href="http://vacommunity.org/ieeevpg/2015/student_flow_aggregated_field_descriptions.pdf"><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#0563C1"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><u>PDF Field Descriptions</u></span></font></a><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
(added July 16, 2015)</span></font></li></span></font>
</ul>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">Clarification to the description for the HighestLevel2 field: It is the category that contains the major that best fits the results of the student's interest inventory, which
is taken only once. This field allows you to compare a student's high interest-major and the major they actually choose.</span></font></div>
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<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Eligibility</b> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">All visualization and visual analytics designers, developers, researchers, and practitioners from business, academia, and government sectors around the world are eligible to
participate. Submissions cannot promote a commercial product. </span></font></div>
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<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Submission Limitation</b> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">Contestants may be lead author on no more than three submissions to the 2015 contest. They may be a co-author of any number of submissions. </span></font></div>
<div><font face="inherit" size="4"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Submission Deadline</b> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">Contest packets must be received by <b>5 p.m. PDT on </b><b>Monday</b><b>, September </b><b>2</b><b>1, 2015</b> to qualify for the 2015 contest. </span></font></div>
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<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Selection Procedure</b> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">All active <a href="http://vgtc.org/content/vpg-members"><font color="#0563C1"><u>IEEE VPG members</u></font></a> who do not make a submission to the contest will be invited
to participate in the first-round review. The top contest submissions from this first-round review will undergo a second round of reviews conducted by five distinguished IEEE VPG members representing different backgrounds, who will be chosen jointly by the
VGTC and VPG chairs. The five-member selection committee will thoroughly review and assess the top contest submissions. The chair of the selection committee will submit his or her recommendation for best visualization to the IEEE VGTC chair by Friday, Oct 16,
2015. </span></font></div>
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<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Contest Award</b> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">Along with a certificate, VPG will give a check for $100 USD to the winner in each of the following categories: </span></font></div>
<ol style="margin:0;padding-left:36pt;">
<font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
<li>Most practical</li><li>Most original</li><li>One or more surprise categories in areas determined by the committee after reviewing the submissions.</li></span></font>
</ol>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">Submissions will be considered in all categories and may win more than one award. Perhaps most importantly, winners in all categories will have a chance to see their work being
applied to ACT’s data analysis, product development, and/or marketing/promotional efforts. </span></font></div>
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<div><font face="inherit" size="4" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;"><b>Submission Details</b> </span></font></div>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">The 2015 contest accepts only static visualizations in the form of an image. Contest participants should email the submission package to <a href="mailto:ieeevpg@googlegroups.com"><font color="#0563C1"><u>ieeevpg@googlegroups.com</u></font></a>.
The package must include: </span></font></div>
<ol style="margin:0;padding-left:36pt;">
<font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
<li>A pdf file that contains: </li></span></font>
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<ul style="margin:0;padding-left:72pt;">
<font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
<li>Title of the data-visualization contest submission</li><li>Name, affiliation, email address, and postal address of the participant</li><li>A 200-300 word description of the visualization written in English</li></span></font>
</ul>
<ol start="2" style="margin:0;padding-left:36pt;">
<font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">
<li>A static visualization figure in jpg or png format.</li></span></font>
</ol>
<div><font face="Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;">The size of the total submission package must be less than 10MB. For questions, contact <a href="mailto:vpg_awards@vgtc.org"><font color="#0563C1"><u>vpg_awards@vgtc.org</u></font></a>.
</span></font></div>
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