June 2017

Glenn Shrum, IALD, MIES
Assistant Professor and Director MFA Lighting Design
Parsons School of Design at The New School, School of Constructed Environments
Founder and Principal of Flux Studio

Q: How did you first get started in the lighting industry?
I grew up riding the Washington DC Metro system which featured Bill Lam’s lighting
design. After attending a Bill Lam lecture at the University of North Carolina Charlotte
where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in architecture, I realized that light was my
passion and designing with light was my future path. Prior to the presentation, I didn’t
realize how much light impacted my perception and experience in the DC Metro system.
I left the lecture convinced that the most impactful element of architecture is light. I went on to earn my Master’s degree in Light art installations at the Maryland Institute College of Art. I founded Flux Studio in 2006 and today we have offices in Baltimore / DC and New York City. Current Flux Studio international and regional projects include the National Gallery of Art (USA), Baltimore Museum of Art, and large-scale housing developments in Brooklyn as well as projects in Luxembourg and Milan. In 2013, I became an assistant professor of Lighting Design in the MFA Lighting Design program at Parsons, and have been the director of the program since January of 2015.

Q: How did you first get involved in the IESNYC?
My first involvement with the IESNYC was when I organized the PLDA LightMapping NYC program in 2009. Members of the IESNYC Board of Managers including Randy Sabedra (current) and Wendy Kaplan (former) were very supportive of the initiative. This was when I first came to appreciate the openness of the IESNYC community.

Q: How do you see your role as member of the IESNYC?
As the director of the Parsons Graduate Lighting Design program, my role includes introducing our students to the IES and underscoring the importance of getting involved in IESNYC events and programs. I also recognize the prominence of Parsons in the New York lighting design community and work hard to ensure that we support IESNYC education initiatives including the annual Student Lighting Competition, the IESNYC Scholarship, and the Thesis Prize, with broad participation of our best students. In addition, I support Parsons IESNYC student chapter by hosting events, reserving rooms, organizing scheduling, and generally mentoring them when various items come up. The most significant event put together by the student chapter is ProTango, an annual student organized public event within the MFA Lighting Design program that brings design practitioners into Parsons for dynamic and passionate exchange with students surrounding employment opportunities, design ideas, and common creative interests.

Q: In your opinion, what are the best assets of the IESNYC?
In my experience, the sense of community and the commitment of those who volunteer in support of the IESNYC are unmatched. My design firm has staff in several locations around the country and we’ve found the local IES chapters in these locations to be less active and more disconnected than the IESNYC. The lighting design community in New York City is unlike any other in the world and the IESNYC does a great job bringing us together.