Visual Analytics in the Classroom
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10
12:15-13:45
Location: STUDIO H

Organizer: L. House

In practice, learning from data requires comprehensive critical thinking skills which 1) extend beyond the application of quantitative statistical or computational methods and 2) include qualitative forms of thought, such as formalizing potential biases, communicating personal judgment, and assessing multiple solutions. Unfortunately, current approaches in teaching data analytics focus primarily on its quantitative aspects; only after students master quantitative theory and methods, do students have an opportunity to think qualitatively about applications. At this meetup, we will discuss how we can change education in data analytics, using research in visual analytics. For example, how can we utilize interactive data visualizations to motivate and reinforce the theory and applications of analytical methods in the classroom? The discussion leaders have ideas. What are yours?

Building the Biological Visualisation Community 
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10 
18:15-19:45
Location: STUDIO A

Organizer: J. Kennedy & N. Gehlenborg

This meetup is aimed at past and future participants in the Symposium on Biological Data Visualization (BioVis, http://www.biovis.net) and everyone else interested in applications of visualization to biological data. BioVis brings together researchers from the visualization, bioinformatics, and biology communities with the purpose of educating, inspiring, and engaging visualization researchers in problems in biological data visualization as well as bioinformatics and biology researchers in state-of-the-art visualization research. BioVis has been held both at the IEEE VIS conference (2011, 2012, 2013) and at the ISCB ISMB Conference (2014). We are keen to maintain a presence with at the VIS conference and this meetup will serve as a focus for researchers in BioVis to meet up at VIS to discuss ideas for further development of the Biological Visualisation Community, both through in person meetings and a new web-based community resource (http://bivi.co). This event will allow us to discuss the new resource with the community, encourage people to contribute and look forward in planning its evolution. The meetup will also provide an opportunity to plan for future BioVis events including a planned return to IEEE VIS in future years.

Visualizing relational data
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
12:15-13:45
Location: STUDIO A

Organizer: M. Rumpf

The representation of relational data such as trade or balance of payments statistics can be complex. It is not easy to provide a comprehensive view on these data sets while keeping the presentation simple and intuitive for a general audience. This meet-up looks into techniques for the representation of multi-polar relational data. It presents a couple of new projects and seeks to foster a discussion around best practice.

Politics, ethics and critique in data visualization
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
15:40-16:15
Location: STUDIO H

Organizers: Yuri Engelhardt, Greg McInerny and Marian Dörk

There is a growing appreciation of data visualization as a medium for conveying complex phenomena to the public and to policy makers. Journalists and non-governmental organizations are using data visualizations to tell compelling stories and to advance important causes with regard to complex issues in society. In this context the often repeated promise of helping the viewer to gain insights and make decisions can become rather political. So in addition to perceptual, cognitive, and technical challenges, there is a need to address the ethical implications of data visualization. Maybe we need to develop not only methods that help us to generate visualizations that have impact, but also methods that help us critically assess the politics embedded in visualizations. During this impromptu meetup we raise the question of how we as a scientific community can grapple with politics, ethics, and critique in data visualization. The meeting is entirely unprepared and informal. Bring your thoughts, pointers, and ideas!

Visual Literacy for Techies
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
18:15-19:45
Location: STUDIO H

Organizers: A. Cairo, N. Gershon

Technology has enabled us to do a plethora of things we could not do before. We can represent data and information, for example, in ways unimagined before, not only in words or simple images, but also in automatically generated complex visual representations. This has enabled developers and other technically proficient people to generate by themselves visual and other representations of their data in a DIY fashion. However, making these representations effective frequently requires visual, design, and representational literacies. This poses a great challenge to many technology developers & users. After all, the pencil inventor was not necessarily the greatest artist. This meetup, a discussion with the audience, will focus on this challenge and chart some potential ways to overcome it.

VisLies
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
19:30-20:30
Location: STUDIO F

Organizers: B. Rogowitz, G. Grinstein, N. Gershon

Come share laughs and groans as we critique bad visualizations. What happens when visual representations mis-represent the data? ... distort the meaning? .... mangle communication? Have some VisLies you'd like to present? Tweet us at #vislies @visweek

Tableau for Teaching and Research
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
12:15-13:45
Location: STUDIO A

Organizer: R. Kosara

Did you know Tableau has an academic program? If you want to teach or do research using Tableau, you can get free licenses. We’re also starting to provide some additional support for teaching. Come to this meetup to talk to others who have used Tableau in teaching, and tell us what you want us to give you (Materials? Datasets? Remotely taught Tableau intro?) to make your job easier.

Data Stories
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
18:15-19:45
Location: STUDIO H

Organizer: Enrico Bertini and Moritz Stefaner

Data Stories (http://datastori.es) is a podcast run by infovis research Enrico Bertini and independent visualization designer Moritz Stefaner. Together with their guests, they discuss current issues in visualization, data science and related topics. Meet them in person to learn more about the show, give feedback and suggest new topics!

Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Visualization and Visual Analytics
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
12:15-13:45
Location: STUDIO H

Organizer: D.Keim, S. Miksch, T. von Landesberger

The goal of the Meet-Up session is to attract female students to work in the field of Visualization and Visual Analytics. The idea is that a few successful female researchers share the experience of their careers and highlight some lessons learned and things To-Do or Not-To-Do. The participants will get to know successful female role models in their field of research and they will be able to learn from their experience. The Meet-Up session should help to inspire more female Ph.D. students.

ViStories
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
13:15
Location: STUDIO A

Organizers: Daniel Cernea, Nahum Gershon, and Benjamin Karer

Visualization is more than just technology or information. It is also about the human element. Not just how we perceive and process information, but also about how visualization affects our lives - the lives of the users as well as the lives of the developers.
As we celebrate the 25th Visualization Conference, please join us for a session on personal and communal visualization stories from past conferences and past & current projects told by your colleagues, collaborators, and friends. Bring your stories if you have ones, lunch if you like, listen and open your hearts and minds.

Velo Club de VIS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
18:15-19:45
Location: STUDIO H

Organizer: J. Dykes, D. Fisher, M. Meyer, R. Whittaker, W. Willet, J. Wood

The Velo Club de VIS is a lightweight and informal road cycling club with the aim of encouraging IEEE VIS participants to ride together on a pre-determined route on the weekend following the conference. Establishing post-VIS tour as a tradition seems a great way to celebrate IEEE VIS’ own Tour de France and 20th birthday. Terms of Reference, information on Le Tour de VIS 2014 and other details are at http://www.gicentre.net/velo-club-de-vis/
@veloclubdevis
#LeTourdeVIS
veloclubdevis@gmail.com
We ask all riders to attend the MeetUp at IEEE VIS for a briefing at which we will: confirm the route and timings; share contact information; consider the weather forecast; iron out any issues that arise; distribute club jerseys (bring cash); Others who wish to join the club or find out more are welcome as we use the MeetUp to: reflect on the club and its operation; plan for next year's ride in Chicago (as shown here -http://www.gicentre.net/velo-club-de-vis-meetup)

Toward Visualization-Specific Heuristic Evaluation
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
18:15-19:45
Location: STUDIO A

Organizer: A. Tarell

This Meetup is all about heuristic evaluation as it relates to visualization. The organizers are proposing a new community-wide effort focused on developing a framework-based approach to visualization-specific heuristic evaluation. The preliminary framework proposed for this effort is based upon previous work by other researchers (perhaps including you), and future work will involve a coordinated effort to better integrate various visualization-specific heuristics and guidelines within that framework. The organizers plan to use a controlled crowdsourcing approach in the various stages of this effort, allowing for more full involvement and participation from the entire visualization community in developing the end product. This crowdsourcing approach will only succeed if the visualization community supports it, so the organizers truly need and want your participation. Please attend this Meetup to hear more about these efforts, and please bring your own ideas related to heuristic evaluation of visualization – it should be a good discussion and idea exchange!