Dana Ballard has been selected to receive the 2014 Distinguished Cognitive Scientist Award from the University of California, Merced. Ballard's research interest is in computational series of the brain with emphasis on human vision. 

With the help of Robert Glushko and Pamela Samuelon, the Cognitive and Information Sciences faculty unit selects one person every year to honor with UC Merced’s Distinguished Cognitive Scientist Award.  The recipient is invited to campus to receive the award, and delivers a broad public talk detailing their influential and groundbreaking research.