New York, NY — The New York City Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IESNYC) proudly announces the recipients of the 2025 IESNYC Thesis Awards. This prestigious recognition celebrates outstanding academic work in lighting design and research, highlighting the creativity and dedication that drive innovation in the field. This year, the IESNYC is honored to recognize Kai-Di Peng, Hyesoo Chun, and Veronica Gonzalez for their exceptional work and creative vision. Each recipient receives a $2,500 award, along with the recognition and encouragement of the broader IESNYC community.
Shining a Light on Emerging Talent
“Our lighting community depends on new voices, fresh perspectives, and the courage to question long-held assumptions,” said Shoshanna Segal, President of the IESNYC and Principal at Hartranft Lighting Design. “Through the Thesis Awards, we’re proud to celebrate three remarkable women, emerging professionals helping shape the future of lighting design.”
Meet the 2025 Thesis Award Recipients
Hyesoo Chun
MFA Lighting Design at Parsons School of Design (The New School), received the award for her thesis, “More isn’t always enough: challenging the perception of safety on NYC subway platforms.”
Originally an interior designer, Hyesoo found herself captivated by the gap between how spaces looked and how they felt under light—particularly after working in offices where harsh, cool lighting undercut otherwise beautiful interiors. Her thesis questions the MTA’s assumption that brighter stations automatically feel safer, arguing instead for lighting quality. Through site analysis and perception-based surveys, she explored how balanced distribution, reduced glare, and thoughtful contrast can more effectively improve the perception of safety in public transit spaces, advocating for a qualitative, luminance-informed approach to lighting design.
“Receiving the IESNYC Thesis Award has been incredibly encouraging,” she said. “It came just as I was stepping out of school, reminding me I’m not doing this work in isolation. It deepened my passion for architectural lighting design and made me feel more connected to this amazing community. The IESNYC creates something hard to find elsewhere—a space for growth and exchange that nurtures a real sense of belonging and serves as a bridge between students, emerging professionals, and the larger lighting industry.
Veronica Gonzalez
Masters of Professional Studies in Lighting Design at the New York School of Interior Design, was recognized for her thesis, “Playful Layers: Children’s Home.”
Like many in the lighting world, Veronica encountered the field by chance early in her career and quickly fell in love with all it had to offer, recognizing it was the path she wanted to pursue. Her thesis reimagines a home tailored for children aged 8 to 12, whose average height and perspective call for a fresh approach. By layering light at varying heights and incorporating vibrant colors and luminaires of different scales and finishes, Veronica’s design creates a multi-sensory environment that blends functionality with playful exploration. Her work encourages children to interact with the space, fostering warmth, comfort, and imagination.
“In the professional world, it’s rare to have the freedom to create without constraints, but thesis work gives you that space to dream,” she said. “Recognition from the IESNYC helps validate the work and passion we put in. Lighting designers often don’t receive the same visibility as architects, so this means a lot — it’s a chance to share our ideas with others.
Master of Science in Architectural Sciences (Lighting) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was recognized for her thesis, “Development of a 3D-Printed Optic for an LED Accent Light Used in Museum Applications.”
With a background in architecture and firsthand experience seeing how profoundly light shapes space and health, Kai-Di sought to explore lighting more deeply through the Lighting Research Center’s master’s program. Her thesis rethinks the optical design of the traditional framing projector, which typically uses four mechanical “fins” to crop light to the shape of a painting—inevitably wasting any light blocked from exiting the fixture. Instead, Kai-Di developed a custom optical element that redirects light precisely onto the target area. Using LightTools to raytrace and design a lens tailored to a specific COB LED module, she created and hand-finished a 3D-printed prototype, along with a printed lens holder to mount it for testing. Through iterative adjustments to the lens geometry and careful measurements of luminous flux transmittance and beam shape, her work demonstrated how additive manufacturing and optical design can reduce waste and optimize museum accent lighting.
“It’s a great honor to receive the IESNYC Thesis Award,” Kai-Di shared. “It’s a recognition of the value of research in general, and of the subject I worked so hard on.” She also highlighted how meaningful the IESNYC community is for emerging professionals: “The IESNYC is a great advocate, providing students and EPs a stage to show their talent and hosting events where we can learn from predecessors and make valuable connections in the professional field.
Supporting the Next Generation
Mike Barr, IESNYC Board Member and Thesis Award Chair (Lutron Electronics Co. Inc.), emphasized the importance of lifting up emerging voices. “The IESNYC Thesis Awards are more than just a financial award—they are a celebration of the curiosity and dedication that students bring to lighting. We’re proud to encourage them as they explore, question, and advance what’s possible in our field.”
The Thesis Awards are one of many ways the IESNYC invests in the future of lighting. Through programs such as the annual IESNYC Merit Scholarship, the Student Lighting Competition, the IESNYC Guiding Lights Circle mentorship initiative, and year-round educational events, the section is committed to nurturing creativity, fostering professional connections, and supporting the growth of lighting’s next generation.
The IESNYC extends heartfelt congratulations to Hyesoo Chun, Veronica Gonzalez and Kai-Di Peng and looks forward to their continued impact on the lighting community.
For more information about the IESNYC and its initiatives, visit www.iesnyc.org.
You must be logged in to post a comment.