Shedding light on engineering

Jackson Hanus is pursuing a PhD in civil engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Photo/Provided

"Lighting blends a lot of different areas of study," Hanus said. "We look at psychology, how lighting effects our mood, we look at the human anatomy of the eye and brain response to lighting, as well as the electrical and architectural engineering behind it."

It was through a connection at Nebraska that Hanus ended up at UC. Hanus's adviser at CEAS, Assistant Professor Arpan Guha, also studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned a doctorate prior to joining UC's Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management.

One of Hanus's professors at Nebraska was Guha's former adviser. This lighting design professor served as a mentor for Hanus and knew that Guha was interested in having a doctoral student at UC, so he made the connection.

"I came and visited, got a tour of the campus, met with Dr. Guha, and everything fell into place," Hanus said. "I never really left home, but I came to Cincinnati and thought it was amazing."

Under Guha's guidance, Hanus is working on several research projects focused on deriving illuminance values, improving occupancy sensing and monitoring circadian rhythms. This year he received the distinguished Thomas M. Lemons scholarship from the International Association of Lighting Designers.

Jackson Hanus hosted a scavenger hunt for students in the Illuminating Engineering Society. The winning team was crowned with medals made of light switches. Photo/Provided

Upon arriving at UC, Hanus noticed that the lighting design community in the College of Engineering and Applied Science was much smaller than it was in Nebraska, so he decided to do something about it.

In Nebraska, Hanus was a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society, an international society for anyone in lighting, ranging from theater productions to manufacturers to lighting professors. At Nebraska, Hanus was president of the student chapter of the group and is very passionate about its mission. There was no chapter at UC, so Hanus created one. Through the society, students can earn scholarships and attend industry conferences.

"The Illuminating Engineering Society is great for exposing our architectural engineering students to more avenues and connections in the industry," Hanus said.

Since creating the chapter, Hanus has planned and hosted several events for the group, including industry mixers, a scavenger hunt around campus, and making paper mâché lanterns. The group is open to more than just engineering students. Hanus said students from across UC interested in lighting - such as those in the College-Conservatory of Music or the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning - have joined and are welcome to join in the future.

"My hope is that lighting is growing here in Cincinnati, and that it continues to grow," he said.

In the beginning stages of his doctoral program, Hanus is really enjoying research and looks forward to continuing this path. Post graduation, he hopes to work in the lighting industry, putting his knowledge to practical use.