faces of the future - Illuminating Engineering Society

FUTURE LEADERS
AARON SMITH
RENSSELAER
POLYTECHNIC
INSTITUTE’S LIGHTING
RESEARCH CENTER
TROY, NY
CAREER CAPSULE
• B.S. Electrical Engineering
Technology from Cal State
Long Beach
• Key projects: USGBC
daylighting pattern book
for schools; daylight
technical services for the
New York State
Energy Research and
Development
Authority; Welch Allyn
facility renovation
Daylighting is the new recycling.
At least it will be if Aaron Smith
has a say. The senior research
specialist at LRC wants to spread the gospel
of daylighting not only to academics,
but to the general public. “Most people
are probably unfamiliar with the term
‘daylight harvesting’ and rarely consider
working by daylight alone,” says Smith.
“It probably never occurs to most people
that working by daylight can reduce electricity
consumption and make a positive
impact on the environment.”
Smith hopes to educate consumers
through a widespread educational campaign
“similar in nature to the voluntary
curbside aluminum and plastic recycling
programs that began in the late
’80s and early ’90s,” he explains. “The
recycling programs changed many people’s
minds about the need to recycle,
and I think similar benefits—a general
awareness and a surge in participation—
could be gained from voluntary daylight
harvesting.”
At the moment, Smith is spearheading
research on the Daysimeter, a device
that monitors and logs an individual’s
light exposure and rest/activity patterns
over an extended period of time.
“The Daysimeter allows researchers to
quantify the light and activity history
of people wearing the device, which is
leading to more in-depth studies on the
impact of light on human health and
well-being, and will change the way we
study circadian disruption,” says Smith,
who believes that “the opportunities in
daylighting are endless.”
A FEW KIND WORDS: LRC director
Mark Rea describes Smith as “smart and
dedicated, and, with his modest yet persistent
demeanor, [he] can coordinate
and rally a team to achieve significant
milestones. He has true leadership qualities
and is on the path to making great
contributions in the lighting industry.”
DOWN THE ROAD: Smith intends to
be a vocal advocate for daylight harvesting
education “by demonstrating
effective strategies for working by daylight,
such as office set-up and window
blind positioning,” he says. “Eventually,
people may start routinely walking
into their offices and reaching to adjust
or open the window blinds to provide
light rather than immediately reaching
for the light switch.”
Elizabeth Hall
‘I chose daylighting as a focus because I want to make a difference by
helping design buildings that contribute to people leading healthier, more
productive lives’
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