Mississippi State Interior Design program receives national lighting grant
Contact: Christie McNeal
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State鈥檚 Interior Design program is receiving a grant from the Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education.
Assistant Professor Robin Carroll, principal investigator for the $30,000 grant, said the money will be put toward a new course, 鈥淗istoric Lighting Environments,鈥 that will broaden the outreach for the lighting design minor and be offered as part of the Master of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation curriculum.
A certified lighting consultant for 35 years, Carroll will serve as the primary instructor for the course that will cover design process, understanding light quality, energy and maintenance, conservation and exterior lighting. Assistant Professor G. Jeff Fulton, MFA historic preservation degree coordinator, will support the class with historical research.
鈥淭his course will really help students understand the importance of lighting in regards to historic structures,鈥 Carroll said. 鈥淎 lot of times, people鈥攏ot wanting to take away from the historic nature of a building鈥攚ill simply re-wire existing lighting. This can cause issues with the space not having enough lumens, which can have a visual effect and also pose a safety hazard. LED technology has provided smaller lamping, allowing for more lighting that can be hidden for a better, safer lighting experience.鈥
Carroll said the grant not only provides instruction and research for this new course but also helps create more hands-on learning opportunities through the purchase of lamps and lighting equipment and support for field trips to historical sites.
This is the third grant Carroll has received from the Nuckolls Fund鈥攖he first was in 2015 to start the lighting certificate, and the second was in 2019.
鈥淚 am so pleased and proud of the effort and dedication Professor Carroll has shown in her work to grow and improve this important area of lighting design for our college,鈥 said Angi Elsea Bourgeois, dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Design. 鈥淭he recognition of the Nuckolls Foundation is a great accomplishment, and more importantly, it will allow us to provide our students new and innovative curricula to expand their opportunities in the future.鈥澛
The Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education, established in 1988, supports college-level programs that inspire students to learn, appreciate and apply the basics of lighting and design in architecture. For more, visit聽.
Learn more about 小黄书鈥檚 College of Architecture, Art and Design and its Interior Design program at聽.
聽小黄书 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽www.msstate.edu.