The Nuckolls Fund Distributes a Record $90,000 for 2018

The Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education has named eight winners of grants and awards for 2018 totaling $90,000, the largest annual distribution in its 29-year history. This year's total brings the Fund's support for lighting education since its founding to $1.145 million.

"The Fund's board of directors felt that because more proposals submitted for 2018 demonstrated significant merit, the decision was made for an increase in the number of grants that were given," says Fund president Jeffrey A. Milham. Submittals were received from lighting educators in colleges and universities throughout North America.

A $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant was given to the University of Minnesota to assist in the development of a Lighting Design Minor, plus the introduction of a new advanced lighting course titled "Lighting Design Innovations and Technological Advances," to be offered by the University's College of Design. Abimbola Asojo will be the principal investigator with Mary Guzowski as the co-principal investigator for this grant.

A second $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant was awarded to the University of Oregon for the development and delivery of a new course, "Virtual Lighting Design." Siobhan Rockcastle, chair of the Baker Lighting Lab, will be the principal investigator with support by a team comprised of Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, David Grigsby, Zachary Suchara, Nathaniel Jones, and Naomi Miller.

The University of Cincinnati received the Fund's $20,000 Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant for its proposal for "Establishing Cross-disciplinary Architectural Lighting Education." Julian Wang will serve as principal investigator, responsible for creating the new architectural lighting course to be offered to upper level undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the University's three current programs of Architecture, Interior Design, and Architectural Engineering.

Seunghae Lee from Oregon State University will apply her $10,000 Edison Price Fellowship Grant to pursue a summer internship with the lighting design firm of Lam Partners in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The $5,000 Jonas Bellovin Scholar Achievement Award was given to Dixon Stein from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Recipient of the $5,000 Jules Horton International Student Achievement Award was Archanaa Pradhapan, a native of India now studying at Pennsylvania State University.

Two $5,000 Designers Lighting Forum of New York Student Achievement Awards were presented this year. Winners are Riley Johnson from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and Joanna Filter, attending the Parsons School of Design in New York City.

The Nuckolls Fund was established to honor the late lighting designer and educator James Nuckolls. "Since its founding, we have grown our annual support for the development and expansion of programs in architectural lighting design education in North America," says Milham. Submittals for financial support from the Fund's three ongoing programs are judged annually. Colleges and universities are eligible to be grant recipients of successful proposals to develop and expand lighting design education. Instructors in lighting can receive financial aid to improve their individual teaching techniques and instructional abilities. Students who demonstrate outstanding performance in their academic lighting design program are nominated by their instructors to receive a $5,000 Fund award.

"In 2019, the Fund will celebrate its thirtieth year in operation. Our past winners have been responsible for many notable advancements made in the lighting profession," Milham indicates." We look forward with pride to the continuation of the great work by educational institutions and individuals through lighting education," he says.

The Nuckolls Fund website is a major resource for lighting instruction. All Fund-sponsored educational materials are posted on its website, available worldwide at no charge. For information, visit www.nuckollsfund.org.

For 2019, the Nuckolls Fund has changed its deadline for receipt of applications grants and awards to November 30, 2018. Distribution to winners will take place in New York City at LEDucation on March 12-13, 2019, at the New York Hilton. Details can be found on www.nuckollsfund.org.

New Nuckolls Fund 2019 Application Deadline

November 30, 2018 is the new final deadline for the receipt of grant applications to be considered by The Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education for 2019. Full details are posted on the Fund's website, www.nuckollsfund.org.