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Troy, NY - 6/22/2005

Lighting Research Center Announces Lutron Scholarship Award Recipient

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has announced the recipient of the 2005 Lutron Scholarship. The funds are used to offset the cost of tuition for a graduate student in the LRC's Master of Science in lighting program who demonstrates outstanding academic performance and strong leadership abilities, as well as a commitment to research in advanced lighting technologies or lighting controls.

The scholarship is generously supported by a $20,000 grant from Lutron Electronics Co., Inc and has been awarded annually since 1996.

"Lutron has demonstrated a strong commitment to leadership development within the lighting industry, and the Lighting Research Center is pleased to work with Lutron to help cultivate future industry leaders," said Mark Rea, Ph.D., LRC director.

This year's scholarship recipient is Kenneth Appleman of Green Island, New York, a second year student in the program. His research will merge lighting automation technology with the study of light and health, developing advanced methods for applying light that are effective to the body's circadian system. Applications for Appleman's research include treatments for sleep disorders and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

"I am honored to have been selected from such a strong group of candidates," said Appleman.

He describes himself as an inventor with a fascination with lighting innovation, and he hopes to one day develop a company that stems from his work at the Lighting Research Center.

Appleman was one the key architects of the Prodigy Internet service and founding chief technology officer of About.com. He earned a master's degree in computer science from Pace University and a bachelor's degree in English from the University at Albany, State University of New York.

About Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.

Lutron, headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, is the world's leading designer and manufacturer of lighting controls, architectural lighting control systems and shading solutions for residential, commercial and institutional applications.

About the Lighting Research Center
The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the world's leading center for lighting research and education. Established in 1988 by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the LRC has been pioneering research in solid-state lighting, light and health, transportation lighting and safety, and energy efficiency for nearly 30 years. LRC lighting scientists with multidisciplinary expertise in research, technology, design, and human factors, collaborate with a global network of leading manufacturers and government agencies, developing innovative lighting solutions for projects that range from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to U.S. Navy submarines to hospital neonatal intensive-care units. LRC researchers conduct independent, third-party testing of lighting products in the LRC's state of the art photometric laboratories, the only university lighting laboratories accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP Lab Code: 200480-0). In 1990, the LRC became the first university research center to offer graduate degrees in lighting and today, offers a M.S. in lighting and a Ph.D. to educate future leaders in lighting. With 35 full-time faculty and staff, 15 graduate students, and a 30,000 sq. ft. laboratory space, the LRC is the largest university-based lighting research and education organization in the world.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is America’s first technological research university. The university offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in engineering; the sciences; information technology and web sciences; architecture; management; and the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Rensselaer faculty advance research in a wide range of fields, with an emphasis on biotechnology, nanotechnology, computational science and engineering, data science, and the media arts and technology. The Institute has an established record of success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace, fulfilling its founding mission of applying science “to the common purposes of life.”