Grant Recipients in 2026

Morgan State University in 2025
A $30,000 Nuckolls Grant to support the development of lighting design at Morgan State University. Principal Investigator is Abimbola Asojo.

Louisianna State University in 2025
A $30,000 Nuckolls Grant to develop a course called “Exploring the Impact of Lighting on Perception and Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Approach Integrating Quantitative Analysis, Environmental Psychology, and Virtual Reality”. Principal Investigator is Jun Zou.

Edison Price Fellowship Award in 2025
A $20,000 Edison Price Fellowship Award to Dorukalp Durmus at Pennsylvania State University for an internship with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

Columbia College Chicago in 2024
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to create a course called “The Science Behind Light: Early Integration of Light Design to Improve Mental Health and Cognitive Learning”. Principal Investigator for this grant is Dave Broz.

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 2024
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to create a course called “Elective Course on Premiumization, Sustainability, and Making of Bespoke Lighting”. Principal Investigators for this grant are Jinoh Park and Jake Tucci.

Colorado State University in 2024
This $30,000 Lesley Wheel Grant is to develop a course called “Lighting Applications for Health-Promoting and Sustainable Interiors”. Principal Investigators for this grant are Kami Stutzman and Leah Scolere.

Edison Price Fellowship Award in 2024
A $20,000 Edison Price Fellowship Grant was awarded to Alana Pulay of Washington State University for an internship with NAC Architecture.

Texas Christian University in 2023
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to integrate a program called “CAD to BIM: The Design Process and Technology Paradigm Shift in Architectural Lighting Design Education & Practice” throughout the existing lighting curricula at Texas Christian University.  Principal Investigator for this grant is Alyssa Humphries Stewart.

Oregon State University in 2023
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop and deliver a new lighting course called “Daylighting Design through Experiential Learning Pedagogy”.  Principal Investigator for this grant is Clotilde Pierson.

University of Southern California in 2023
This $30,000 Lesley Wheel Grant is to develop and deliver a new lighting course to be called “Exploring Exterior Lighting Design and its Effect on Health, Community and Nature.”  Principal Investigator for this grant is Lauren Dandridge.

Tennessee State University in 2023
This $30,000 Lesley Wheel Grant is to develop and deliver a new lighting course to be called “Introductory Lighting Course”.   Principal Investigator for this grant is Robert Davis.

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 2022
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop and run an upper-level advanced lighting course coordinated by the department of Interior Design. The 3-credit hour multi-disciplinary professional elective will be offered to students within the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, including Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and Master of Design Students. Principal Investigator for this grant is Jake Tucci. 

Virginia Polytechnic and State University in 2022
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop a new course “Exploring the Intersection of Lighting, Health, and Wellbeing”. Principal Investigators for this grant are James Jones Ph.D and Ron Gibbons Ph.D.

Mississippi State University in 2022
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop and implement a new course called “Historic Lighting Environment”. Principal Investigator for this grant is Robin Carroll. 

Texas Tech University in 2022
This $7,500 Lesley Wheel Grant is to help support the induction of an architectural lighting course on the Llano Estacado with focus on applied learning through building and testing lighting tools as well as result-based design integration. The Principal Investigator is Victoria McReynolds. 

Otis College of Art and Design in 2021
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop a new lighting course called “Online Modules for Existing Lighting Design Certificate Courses.”  Principal Investigator for this grant is Linda Pollari. 

The Pennsylvania State University in 2021
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop a new lighting course called “Color Science Course for Architecture, Design and Engineering.”  Principal Investigator for this grant is Dorukalp Durmus.

Thomas Jefferson University in 2021
This $30,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop a new lighting course called “Interdisciplinary Light and Health.”  Principal Investigator for this grant is Lyn Godley. 

University of Minnesota in 2021
This $20,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop a new lighting course called “Expanded Lighting Design Minor.”  Principal Investigators for this grant are Abimbola Asojo and Mary Guzowski. 

Morgan State University in 2021
A $30,000 Nuckolls grant to develop a course called “Lighting Design and Environmental Controls.  Principal Investigators for the grant are Edward Bartholomew and Greg Guarnaccia.

In the year 2020, the largest annual number of grants and awards in its thirty-one-year history has been distributed by The Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education.

Oregon State University in 2020
This $45,000 Milham Catalyst Grant is to develop a program called “Applied Architectural Lighting”, a sequence of three courses that will form the core lighting curriculum in the Architectural Engineering program. The program will be shared with lighting educators worldwide. Principal Investigator for this grant is Kevin Houser.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2020
This $35,000 Milham Catalyst Grant is to develop a program called “Lighting Education: Deep Learning from Fundamentals to Integration”.  This program will be applied to the school’s lighting program and encourage architecture and design students to explore the integration of lighting with such topics as health, climate, materials, form, energy, heating/cooling, and affect. Principal Investigator for this grant is Sandy Stannard.

The University of Colorado at Boulder in 2020
This $35,000 Milham Catalyst Grant is to develop a program called “Expanding Lighting Education with Online Certificates”.  The program will allow for a foundational Professional Certificate in Lighting to be offered each year and two Advanced Professional Certificates, one in Lighting Engineering and one in Lighting Design.  The certificates will enable a stream of professionals, through mid-career shifts or interdisciplinary work, to continue building the lighting industry as a high-quality field of practice in a time of rapid technological advancements. Principal Investigator for this grant is Sandra Vasconez.

Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston in 2020
This $35,000 Milham Catalyst Grant is to develop a program called “Lighting Design Education Portal”.  The program will help students understand the art and science of lighting design from the beginning phase through post-occupancy.  Principal Investigator for this grant is Seunghae Lee.

New York School of Interior Design in 2020
This $20,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop a new lighting course called “Health Factors of Lighting and Daylighting.” This advanced course will introduce students to light and health research and applications.  Principal Investigator for this grant is Shaun Fillion.

Carnegie Mellon University in 2020
This $20,000 Nuckolls Grant is to develop a new lighting course called “Shaping Light.”  This project is a new approach to teaching students how to design with and for light while understanding the paradox of lighting design – that it is both art and science. Principal Investigator for this grant is Azadeh Omidfar Sawyer.

Edison Price Fellowship Awards in 2020
A $10,000 Edison Price Fellowship Grant was awarded to Mejedeh Modarres Nezhad of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for a summer internship with Available Light in Boston.

A second $10,000 award was awarded to Glenn Shrum from the Parsons School of Design, for a research residency at Aalborg University, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Mississippi State University in 2019
This $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant is to assist in the development of a new class, Lessons from the Theatre: Architectural Lighting Design. The addition of the course to the current lighting curriculum will allow students to complete the requirements for a lighting certification. Principal investigator for this grant is Robin Carroll.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2019
This $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant is to develop and deliver a new course in lighting, Lighting for Plant Growth and Health. Mark Rea, Ph.D. is the Principal Investigator with Co-Principal Investigator Leora Radestky.

Edison Price Fellowship Award in 2019
This $10,000 Edison Price Fellowship Grant was awarded to Asha Hegde, Ph.D. from Texas State University who will pursue an eight-week mentorship program with Professor Mariana G. Figueiro of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

University of Cincinnati in 2018
This $20,000 Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant is to establish a Cross-disciplinary Architectural Lighting Education by developing and delivering a new architectural lighting course in the three programs of Architecture, Interior Design and Architectural Engineering with Julian Wang as the Principal Investigator. This grant is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

The University of Minnesota in 2018
This $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant is to assist in the development of a Lighting Design Minor and to develop and deliver a new course in lighting design titled Lighting Design Innovations and Technological Advances with Abimbola Asojo and Mary Guzowski as the Principal Investigators.  This grant is scheduled to be completed in 2019.

The University of Oregon in 2018
This $20,000 Nuckolls Fund Grant is to develop and deliver a new course in lighting design to be called Virtual Lighting Design with Slobhan Rockcastle as the Principal Investigator and project support by Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, David Grigsby, Zachary Suchara, Nathaniel Jones and Naomi Miller.  This grant is scheduled to be completed in 2019.

Edison Price Fellowship Grant in 2018
This $10,000 Grant was awarded to Seunghae Lee Ph.D. from Oregon State University who will pursue a summer internship with the lighting design firm of Lam Partners in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

This $20,000 Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant was given to Jae Yong Suk Ph.D. as the Principal Investigator to develop and deliver a new course in lighting for upper level undergraduate students in both their Architecture and Interior Design Programs.  This grant is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

University of Texas at San Antonio in 2017
This $20,000 Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant was given to Jae Yong Suk Ph.D. as the Principal Investigator to develop and deliver a new course in lighting for upper level undergraduate students in both their Architecture and Interior Design Programs.  This grant is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

University of Idaho in Boise Idaho in 2016
This $20,000 Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant was given to Leyla Sanati Ph.D. as the Principal Investigator to develop and deliver a new course in lighting in the College of Art and Architecture, but the course will also be available to students in interior design.  This grant is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

Philadelphia University in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 2016
This $20,000 Lesley Wheel Introductory Lighting Program Grant was given to James Doerfler, Lyn Godley, Matthew Gindlesparger, and Lauren Baumbach as the Principal Investigators to develop and deliver a new course called “Lighting Design”.  This course will be the first of four courses that will create an undergraduate Lighting minor and a graduate Lighting concentration across two colleges at the university.  This grant is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

C & C LIGHTING
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
To develop and deliver a series of four workshops for both faculty and students at schools of architecture in the United States with Cindy Limauro and Christopher Popowich as the principal investigators.
$20,000 in 2015

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
Starkville, Mississippi
To develop and deliver a new course in lighting to be called “Integrated Lighting Solutions” with Robin Carroll and William Riehm as principal investigators.
$20,000 in 2015