Sylvan R. Shemitz Memorial Scholarship
Sylvan R. Shemitz, FIES, a member of the IES for 61 years, was a distinguished lighting designer with a long and illustrious career. He founded Sylvan R. Shemitz Designs, Inc., makers of elliptipar and tambient, patented many major innovations in asymmetric lighting and invented the first single-source task/ambient lighting solution.
In honor of his memory, his family and company, now The Lighting Quotient, have established the Sylvan R. Shemitz Memorial Scholarship to help deserving students pursue their studies, and most of all, their passion for beautiful lighting. A scholarship, the amount of which will be based on interest and/or dividends provided by the endowment, will be awarded to one student annually.
All second, third, fourth or fifth year undergraduate or graduate students in an accredited lighting degree program during the fall of each year are eligible to apply. This scholarship applies to students in all aspects of lighting including, but not limited to, architectural, commercial, residential, and theatrical lighting. Applicants should refer to the IESNA Handbook for eligible fields of study.
Students are required to submit a 1,500 word essay titled “The Next Generation of Lighting: How would you bring a historical lighting installation into the next generation of sustainability?” to demonstrate their understanding and vision for the future of the architectural lighting industry. Drawings, schedules, and renderings can be submitted to supplement the essay.
Additionally, applicants are required to send a completed application form and two letters of recommendation from principal instructors at the their current lighting program. One of the letters may be from someone who supervised the student in an internship program. For more details on the scholarship, required materials and judging criteria, as well as the downloadable application form, please visit our website.