The New York City Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IESNYC) has announced the recipient of its 2019 Scholarship, Brigid Hardiman, a lighting student in the Master of Professional Studies Lighting Design Program at the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID). The merit-based scholarship awards $ 25,000 to a full-time, graduate degree-candidate in architectural lighting who is enrolled in an accredited college or university located in New York State.
Hardiman is a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, where she received a B.S. in Architectural Technology in 2013. Currently enrolled at the NYSID, she anticipates graduating from the Master of Professional Studies Lighting Design Program in August 2019. Concurrent with school, Hardiman has worked as a lighting specification coordinator at RAB Lighting, and as a lighting designer at Celano Design Studios; she is currently employed at Lightcraft Group. She is also the co-chair of the IESNYC annual Student Lighting Competition. “Being part of a community that is so supportive of education is amazing and to be a direct recipient of that support is incredibly inspiring, said Hardiman. “I fully intend to pay it forward by guiding future generations of students through their own lighting journeys.”
Of Hardiman, Shaun Fillion her NYSID advisor and MPS Lighting Design program director said in a press statement, “Brigid is a fantastic and well-deserving choice as recipient of the Scholarship. She has been an active volunteer for the Section for four years and has demonstrated leadership as the co-chair for the Student Lighting Competition. In her pursuit of her master’s degree in lighting design, she has shown enormous development in the art of lighting design. Brigid has put forth enormous efforts in her volunteerism and professional development, and I'm delighted that this award recognizes that.”
The scholarship recipient was selected from a pool of New York State applicants by the IESNYC Scholarship Committee, which includes members Mike Barr of Lutron and Section vice-president; Pete Jacobson, Con Edison and member of the IESNYC Board of Managers; Addison Kelly, US Lighting Consultants; Caleb McKenzie, US Lighting Consultants and president of the IESNYC; and Brad Telias, Enterprise Lighting Sales, and treasurer of the IESNYC. This Scholarship Committee also invited two guest judges–Michael Mehl, director of Lightbox Studios, and Jackson Ning, principal and president of Kugler Ning Lighting Design–to lend their expertise to the selection process.
“Brigid Hardiman exemplifies the vision of the IESNYC Scholarship, and she meets and exceeds our criteria,” said Caleb McKenzie, chair of the Scholarship committee. “We were especially impressed with her determination to share her knowledge and help others. She is a shining example of a student who deserves the Section’s encouragement and support.”
McKenzie proposed the scholarship four years ago and its introduction in 2016 received unanimous support from the Section’s Board of Managers. According to the press release, “…the Scholarship is unprecedented in the history of the IES and represents the first time a Section in the Society has supported higher education to such an extent.” The scholarships complements the IESNYC’s suite of student and emerging professional programs including the annual Student Lighting Competition, the annual Thesis Prizes, and the administration of the Richard Kelly Grant.
