Rensselaer’s Lighting Research Center congratulates recent doctoral graduate Akila Udage, Ph.D., who has been awarded the 2023 IESNYC Thesis Award from the New York City chapter of the Illuminating Engineering Society. Dr. Udage’s doctoral thesis, titled “Design Analysis of 3D Printed Internal Cavity Lens for Lighting Applications,” demonstrated innovative research into the design and manufacturing of internal-cavity flat optics for LED lighting systems using 3D printing technology.

Custom lighting optics is one of several areas in which the LRC is exploring the potential for 3D printing. Thesis adviser Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D., said, “Akila has shown talent and commitment in pursuing research into 3D printing for lighting. His thesis work will undoubtedly advance the application of this technology for not only optical components but for many other types of lighting components as well.”

Prior to fulfilling his doctoral studies, Dr. Udage, who graduated from Rensselaer in May, completed the M.S. in Lighting at Rensselaer where he conducted research on the 3D printing of antennas for connected lighting systems.

The IESNYC Thesis Awards is an annual monetary award given to students selected by their professors for demonstrating excellence in lighting design and/or research, and represent the intellectual insight, rigor, and quality standards as set forth by their respective school departments and each student’s thesis committee. Recipients must be a degree candidate in a graduate-level lighting program at the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID), Parsons School of Design at the New School, or Lighting Research Center (LRC), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) School of Architecture. Recipients have the opportunity to present their thesis projects to the New York City lighting community at a special presentation event and eligible for consideration to be sent to the IES Annual Conference and present their work.

Since 2015, the LRC has been exploring the benefits and challenges of 3D printing for lighting applications, and in 2019 established the ASSIST 3D Printing for Lighting Consortium. Learn more at https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/solidstate/3DPrinting.asp.