The Detroit Section has an active calendar that includes various educational courses as well as multiple opportunities to network and socialize with industry peers. To keep abreast with our upcoming events follow the calendar below.
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What if you could sit down and have each of the premier lighting research facilities in the United States come to you and distill their recent activities to about ten minutes each? That seems like a valuable use of time and exactly what we have organized for you. Lighting research occurring now provides a glimpse into our industry’s future. What lighting trends are being further researched and why? This is part one of a two-part webinar series. In July, we will feature labs specifically researching light & health concerns. The June and July “Researching Light” Series will be moderated by Mark Lien, Industry Relations Manager at IES.
- Virginia Tech Transportation Institute – Dr. Ron Gibbons
- Pacific Northwest National Lab – Kelly Gordon
- Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications Lab – Dr. Robert Karlicek
- Lighting Research Center – Dr. Nadarajah Narendran
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab – Jordon Shackelford
- Sandia National Lab – Dr. Paul Sharps
Webinar participants are eligible for one and a half (1.5) IES Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
PRESENTERS:
Dr. Ron Gibbons, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Ron Gibbons is the Director of the Center for Infrastructure Based Safety Systems (CIBSS) at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). He is the Institute’s lead lighting research scientist. He is currently the PI on projects investigating the impact of outdoor lighting on human health, the Spectral Effects of new light sources on roadways, the visibility of police vehicles and is the subject matter lead for the FHWA office Safety IDIQ contract. Dr. Gibbons is also an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Design at Virginia Tech. Gibbons is the author of over 80 published papers on roadway lighting, photometry, and target visibility. He is a past Director of Division 4 of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) and a past president of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
Kelly Gordon, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Kelly Gordon has been a Program Manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for 20 years. She manages the Advanced Lighting Research program with 24 team members who provide core technical support to the US Department of Energy Lighting R&D program. Kelly has focused throughout her career on lighting energy efficiency and technology development. She earned a Master’s in Public Policy from Duke University and a BA in Political Science from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.
Dr. Robert Karlicek, Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications Lab
Dr. Robert F. Karlicek, Jr. is a professor of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering, and the Director of the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications (LESA) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Prior RPI, he spent over 30 years in industrial research and R&D management positions related to optoelectronics, telecommunications and lighting systems with corporations including AT&T Bell Labs and General Electric. He obtained his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and has over 56 peer reviewed technical papers and 48 U.S. patents.
Dr. Nadarajah Narendran, Lighting Research Center
Dr. Narendran is a professor and director of research at Rensselaer’s Lighting Research Center. He is well known for his pioneering research in the field of solid-state lighting, including LED performance improvement through novel packaging, development of accelerated life-testing methods, and the use of LEDs in high-value lighting applications. His current research focuses on 3D printing for lighting, specifically investigations of the properties of materials and 3D printed components for lighting fixtures, including mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical subcomponents. Dr. Narendran and his research group are leading the lighting industry transformation to supply on-site, on-time delivery of cost-effective lighting components and fixtures, and thus changing the current lighting practice. Dr. Narendran has authored more than 130 articles in archival journals and proceedings and holds over 50 patents. He is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, the SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and a member of the committee on the assessment of solid-state lighting for the National Research Council of the National Academies.
Jordon Shackelford, Lawrence Berkeley Lab
Jordan Shackelford is a Senior Scientific Engineering Associate in the Electronics, Lighting & Networks Group at LBNL. Jordan has over 10 years of experience in emerging lighting and controls technology evaluations. He works in LBNL’s FLEXLAB on experimental design, testing, and analysis, and installs and manages lighting, controls, and monitoring systems in the lab. Jordan has worked on field demonstration projects for interior commercial LED retrofits and networked controls with auto-DR, and on early utility-funded LED street lighting and advanced controls research. He holds a Masters Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford’s Atmosphere / Energy Program.
Dr. Paul Sharps, Sandia National Lab
Dr. Sharps is the manager of the Advanced Materials Sciences department at Sandia National Labs. He has a PhD in Materials Science from Stanford University. Prior to joining Sandia, he was involved in the development of high efficiency, III/V multi-junction solar cells for over 28 years, both at the Research Triangle Institute and at Emcore / SolAero. He has 24 US patents and over 120 conference proceedings and peer reviewed publications. He has either led or been involved with teams that have developed nine commercial products. Dr. Sharps also has extensive experience with growth, processing, and testing of III/V photovoltaic devices, as well as support of manufacturing yield improvement and process optimization.
In typical practice, lighting designers are responsible for defining design intent and specifying lighting and control technology that they believe will deliver that intent. However, designers often sacrifice control over what products actually get installed, or discover a gap between expected and actual product performance that limits their ability to control characteristics of the finished environment. This webinar will examine multiple approaches to incorporating additional measures of validation, accountability, and control into the design-bid-build process, including vertical integration and digital design environments.
Webinar participants are eligible for one (1) IES Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
PRESENTERS:
Michael Poplawski, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Michael Poplawski is a senior engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he primarily supports the DOE Lighting R&D Program. He is the principal investigator for research focused on evaluating and characterizing new connected lighting system technologies and capabilities, exploring the potential for connected lighting systems to provide grid services, and developing related standards and specifications.
Jessica Collier, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Jessica is an associate lighting research engineer on the Lighting Science Research team at PNNL supported by the Department of Energy Solid-State Lighting program. Prior to joining in 2019, Jessica worked as a lighting designer in New York while completing her graduate degree. Her current research interests include light and human health interactions, emerging solid-state lighting technologies and metrics, and ways to translate research findings into practice.
Star Davis, Design Consultant
Star Davis is an internationally acclaimed design consultant with a passion for process innovation. Balancing macro-level strategic thinking with strong technical capabilities, her approach is guided by a deep understanding of human perception, physics, product manufacturing, and construction methodologies.

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Board of Directors announces that the 2021 IES Annual Conference, originally scheduled for August 5-7 in New Orleans, will not take place in-person, and instead will be hosted in a virtual setting.
As always, the IES’s priority is the health and safety of the lighting community, including our members, staff, supporters, vendors and volunteers. While we miss you all and so hoped to see you this August, we know that the safety guidelines that will be in place would significantly change the type of event our participants are used to attending. While we continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 we want to make sure that when we do hold our first in-person Annual Conference post-pandemic, that it provides the value that you expect from us.
Despite the disruption we are facing, the IES is excited to bring you the opportunity to participate in the Annual Conference without having to leave your workspace. We will leverage our technology to bring our community together in a virtual setting, and to disseminate valuable, relevant and timely content. We hope that you find this year’s Annual Conference insightful, beneficial, and of the quality that you have come to expect from the IES.
Lighting provides value in spaces, allowing them to be functional while providing visual interest and making places more desirable. Lighting value is more than the return on investment of energy or maintenance, and this webinar will discuss new industry efforts and metrics for estimating difficult-to-quantify values related to lighting.
Webinar participants are eligible for one (1) IES Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
PRESENTERS:
Michael Myer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Michael Myer is a senior researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he supports U.S. Department of Energy programs including energy codes, appliance standards, and field evaluations.
Lisa Skumatz, SERA
Lisa Skumatz is an economist with over 38 years in solid waste research. She has conducted solid waste program and policy research around the nation, and published more than 100 articles on trash, recycling, organics, and reduction strategies. Lisa is known for her quantitative analysis expertise and she focuses on research that helps inform program decision-making by communities, states, and haulers. Lisa has spoken at more than 100 conferences, and keynoted at conferences in both the US and internationally. She is on the board of Recycle Colorado and previously was Chair of the Board for the NRC and on the board of Colorado SWANA. Lisa has won two nationwide lifetime achievement awards for her work in Solid Waste.

In 2008 the IES published LM-79, “Approved Method: Electrical and Photometric Measurements of Solid-State Lighting Products.” This measurement standard for solid-state lighting products quickly became the world recognized standard for measuring LED lighting products. In 2019 the IES Test Procedures Committee (TPC) completed a comprehensive review and revision of LM-79. The revision was published as ANSI/IES LM-79, “Approved Method: Optical and Electrical Measurements of Solid-State Lighting Products.” The revision includes better guidance on how to make measurement and requirements that help to reduce measurement variations between different testing facilities. Consideration for these changes was based on information collected from NVLAP proficiency testing, independent research, and an effort to help minimize the burden on testing laboratories. Join us for our first educational session on LM-79 since the revision was published, and learn from experts in this topic Cameron Miller and Eric Bretschneider.
Webinar participants are eligible for one (1) IES Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
R&S Sharf Golf Course – Oakland University Golf
Monday August 30, 2021
Join us Monday, August 30th at the prestigious Oakland University Katke-Cousins Golf Course for the 5th Annual John Selander IES Golf Outing!
Click here to buy your tickets by Friday, August 13th!
Click here to learn about our Sponsorship Opportunities!
Tickets Prices:
$500 per foursome
$125 per player (will be paired up with a group)
$30 per person awards/lunch only
Player registration includes green fees, cart, driving range, food/drink tickets, lite lunch and chance at prizes
Schedule:
7:00am – Check-In and Driving Range Opens
8:15am – To Carts
8:30am – Shotgun Start (scramble format)
1:30pm – $50,000 Shootout and Putting Contest for Carnival Cruise
1:45pm – Lite Lunch & Prizes
Prizes:
– 1st place foursome
– 2nd place foursome
– Last place foursome
– Longest drive and closest to the pin
– Hole-in-one prizes
– $50,000 Shoot out and putting contest
– Door prizes
We are accepting donations for door prizes. All sponsors will be recognized during the raffle. Please contact Tournament Chair Shelly Prew ([email protected]) if you’d like to donate items for the raffle or if you have questions about sponsorships.
Sponsor Opportuni-“TEES”
To help make our tournament successful and fun for our players, we need the support of companies in the
lighting industry. This support helps provide scholarships to our soon to be industry colleagues. Below is a
description of the 2021 sponsorship opportunities.
Bogey Sponsor (Hole Sponsor) Cost: $125
Number available: (27)
- Company name/logo on designated hole sponsorship sign
- Company name on event board
Par Sponsor (Contest Sponsor) Cost: $250
Number available: (5)
- Company name/logo on designated contest hole (choose from the following 5 contests to sponsor: longest drive men, longest drive women, closest to the pin men, closest to the pin women, skins game)
- Company name on event board
Birdie Sponsor “Breakfast/Water Cooler Sponsor” Cost: $500
Number available: (2)
- Company name/logo on Breakast Bags orWater Coolers on course
- Company name on event board and “Special” recognition at awards
Eagle Sponsor “Dinner Sponsor”. Cost: $750
Number available: (4)
- Company name on event board and “Special” recognition at awards
- Company name/logo on designated hole
- Recognition on IES Detroit Website
Double Eagle “Tournament Sponsor” Cost: $1500
Number available: (1)
- Company name/logo on personalized sleeve of golf balls passed out to all golfers
- Provides tournament round of golf for one team of (4) golfers
- Company logo on hole sponsorship signs at Tee Box #1 and #9
- Company name on event board, recognition at awards as IES Detroit Tournament
- Sponsor and recognition on IES Detroit Website
All sponsorships are first-come, first-served. Sponsorship reservation is not final until payment has been received by the IES-Detroit Section. Please send checks (made payable to IES Detroit Section) to address below. All donated items can be mailed or sent to the address below
To pay online please visit the Eventbrite page. Thank you in advance for your support of our event!
*Digital form of logo must be emailed to Shelly at the email address below. Standard image file types are accepted.
Mail to: Shelly Prew Tournament Chair, IES-Detroit 1556 Eason Road Waterford, MI 48328
[email protected] 847-971-7238
The adoption of LED lighting has tremendous environmental benefits for its reduced energy use, yet the environmental impact of lighting extends beyond energy use – from the materials used to create a lighting product, to how a product is manufactured, operated, and maintained, to disposal or re-use at end-of-life. This webinar will provide a holistic view of the environmental impacts of LED lighting across its full life cycle, including embodied carbon and emissions, hazardous material concerns, and depletion of resources. Attendees will learn about methods, tools, and resources they can use to develop and support a more sustainable and circular lighting economy.
Webinar participants are eligible for one (1) IES Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
PRESENTERS:
Gabe Arnold, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Gabe Arnold is a Senior Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he focuses on development and deployment of emerging lighting technologies. He’s a principal investigator on the advanced lighting team supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lighting R&D and Commercial Buildings Integration programs.
Kate Hickcox, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Kate Hickcox is a lighting research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She is a creative thinker in the field of lighting, with over 15 years of experience in both lighting research and lighting design.
Leela Shanker, Borealis Lighting Studio, BR+A
Leela Shanker is a lighting designer with BR+A’s Borealis Lighting Studio and a contributing member to the Green Light Alliance (GLA) – an international network of lighting professionals progressing industry-led standards, research, and advocacy for circular lighting design principles. Her current work with the GLA, AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) and Carbon Leadership Forum New York chapter centers on lighting-specific issues related to Embodied Carbon and Life Cycle Assessment.

CONFERENCE SCOPE
The IES Street and Area Lighting Conference appeals to a broad spectrum of attendees with a primary focus of improving outdoor lighting. The conference program provides outdoor lighting training classes, seminars, networking sessions and an exhibit hall. Attendees come from across the country and internationally representing utilities, municipalities, DOTs, consulting and engineering firms, research firms, manufacturing firms and educational institutions. The IES Street and Area Lighting Conference is the only forum specific to the interests and challenges facing outdoor lighting professionals.
IES Street & Area Lighting Conference 2021
Virtual Conference
October 11-13, 2021
Join us on October 12th at 5:00 for a Spooky Lighting Scavenger Hunt after dinner at the Detroit Shipping Company.
We are so excited to host our first in-person meeting of 2021, a Spooky Lighting Scavenger Hunt in Downtown Detroit!
About this event
Happy October!! Join IES Detroit for dinner and drinks at the Detroit Shipping Company (outdoor seating available), and then test your knowledge and skills of observation in a Spooky Lighting Scavenger Hunt in Downtown Detroit!
5:00-6:00pm: Dinner
6:00pm-9:00pm Scavenger Hunt
This is intended to be DRIVING tour, but weather permitting you can also walk! We encourage you to invite your friends and peers (non-members are encouraged!) to participate. If you’re driving, one person can drive while others navigate and take photos. Otherwise, we will also indicate places to find street parking so you can take photos while stationary. There is free parking at and near the Detroit Shipping Company.
The Scavenger Hunt should take about 1 hour to complete if driving, 2 hours if walking. There are also two MoGo Bikeshare stations a five minute walk from Detroit Shipping Company.
Your Detroit BOM Clues Hotline will be on standby to assist with any questions during the Hunt. Plan to return to Detroit Shipping Company for drinks when you’re finished.
Meeting fees:
$10 for Students
$15 for Emerging Professional IES Members
$25 for IES Members
$35 for Non-Members
Location:
Detroit Shipping Company
474 Peterboro Street
Detroit, MI 48201
Presentation on RTLS, Real-Time Location Systems which provide real time location, visibility and telemetry data for equipment and personnel
About this event
Webinar participants are eligible for one (1) IES Continuing Education Unit (CEU).
With day-to-day problems and challenges in healthcare facilities, such as fast spreading infections, loss of inventory, the need for contact tracing etc. location data is the key to improving operational efficiency and processes. RTLS, Real-Time Location System is a system which provides for real time location, visibility and telemetry data for equipment and personnel throughout a facility. It can be provided by leveraging the lighting infrastructure. A real time location system is comprised of badges/tags, a network of readers/sensors/transmitters, and a location engine. The data is sent to a server which provides the end-user real time location information on patients, caregivers, and assets.
Presenter:
Alan Tangen, MBA is the Head of RTLS Business Development and Sales for Cooper Lighting Solutions. Alan has spent over 20 years working with communication technologies, predominantly in healthcare. He has developed an expert understanding of the challenges facing healthcare and the significant value technology can deliver to overcome them. During his career he has had extensive experience in managing service and sales personnel, as well as selling, installing, and servicing complex solutions including nurse call, wireless communication, and real time locating systems. He is responsible for numerous successful implementations.