Member of the Month

January 2022

Mariana G. Figueiro
PhD, FIES
Professor and Director
Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai

Q: How did you first get started in the lighting industry?
I have served on a couple of IES committees (Lighting for Aged and Partially Sighted, Light and Health) since 2000 and became a Fellow in 2013. I have spoken at IES chapters and conferences all over the country and delivered my first presentation to the IESNYC in early 2009. The topic was light and human health, naturally. Being based in Albany made for a logical connection with the IESNYC and my move to the Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai sealed the deal. Hey, I’m a New Yorker now!

Q: How did you first get involved in the IESNYC?
I joined the IESNYC in 1983, I think. This was an important step to being taken seriously as a lighting professional, and in 1985, DGA was founded.

Q: How do you see your role as a member of the IESNYC?
I see my role with the IESNYC as an extension of my research and personal calling: the promotion of healthy lighting for healthier communities. NYC is the ideal place to spread the word because there are so many ears from so many social and commercial sectors to hear the word.

Q: In your opinion, what are the best assets of the IESNYC?
There is a center of gravity for the lighting industry in NYC that is unlike any other in the country, probably even globally. There is so much we can do with lighting to improve the lives of people from all walks of life, doing it comprehensively and affordably. And if we can do it here in NYC, to paraphrase the city’s anthem, we can do it anywhere and everywhere.