At the Society of Light and Lighting AGM, Awards and Presidential Address held on the 20th May at the Barbican, London, the lighting community came together to congratulate and support Kristina Allison CEng MCIBSE FSLL as the new SLL President.
During her Presidential Address Kristina, thanked all the SLL volunteers that worked tirelessly sharing knowledge and making the society what it is. Whether that be through publications, presentations and events, or supporting and being ambassadors in the Lighting Community her thanks went to them all.
Kristina then went on to discuss her theme for her year - education and showing those in Key Stage 4 the opportunities in lighting - The STEAM 'Get Curious' lighting programme. In two parts, with the first signposting opportunities for those in Key Stage 4 to have work experience in the many different aspects of the lighting industry. And secondly, encouraging those in the lighting industry to become STEAM Ambassadors. To find out more about the programme and get involved – ‘Get Curious’.
'I want lighting to become an industry that young people choose to follow not just fall in to. Let’s inspire children to want to learn about our magical subject, to ‘be curious’ about how light works for all its facets, from physics to art to technology. Let’s change the status quo of we ‘fell into lighting’ to ‘lighting found me’.'
SLL President, Kristina Allison
Read Kristina’s Presidential Address and see the Society’s Officers for 2025.
There were also celebrations for this year’s award winners.
The Regional Award presented in recognition of the work undertaken by an individual on behalf of the Society in the regions was presented to Giorgos Kourtelis CEng MCIBSE MSLL, Regional Lighting Representative for the North West.
The Lighting Award, given to acknowledge outstanding service to the Society was presented to Antony Ownsworth FCIBSE FSLL.
Honorary Fellowship, given by the Society in recognition of significant contribution not only of services to the Society but to the wider lighting profession was awarded to Paul Littlefair CEng MCIBSE FSLL and Professor Debra J. Skene B Pharm, MSc, PhD.
The President’s Medal was first awarded to Joe Lynes in 2009 and recognises a significant and lifetime contribution to lighting. The 2024 recipient was Bob Venning CEng MCIBSE FSLL.
There were two awards for published papers in Lighting Research & Technology Journal. The Leon Gaster Award was given to Myriam Aries and Femke Beute et al for two papers, The relationship of light exposure to sleep outcomes among office workers, Part 1: Working in the office versus at home before and during the COVID pandemic. LRT, 2024, 56(2): 113-125, and The relationship of light exposure to sleep outcomes among office workers, Part 2: Comparison of days with and without social constraints. LR&T, 2024, 56(2): 126-135.
The second award was the Walsh Weston Award and was given Belal Abboushi et al, for the paper Predicting discomfort from glare with pedestrian scale lighting: A comparison of candidate models using four independent datasets. Lighting Research and Technology 2024; 56(3): 225-246.
Congratulations were given to all award recipients.