Jae Yong Suk, an associate professor of design at the University of California, Davis, has been appointed as the new director of the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC), a research center housed in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis.
“We’re thrilled about this new chapter at the CLTC,” said Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis. “The center has a strong track record for developing energy-efficient lighting and emerging energy technologies while partnering with industry to bring those innovations to market. I’m excited to see where they head next under Jae Yong’s leadership.”
Founded in 2003 with support from the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the CLTC is housed in a 14,000+ square foot facility that functions as a living laboratory for its lighting, building controls and energy management projects.
Through research and design, the CLTC shows the best ways to integrate efficient and human-centric building systems into new and existing energy infrastructure. By bridging gaps between academia, industry and government, the CLTC pushes society towards a more energy sustainable and resilient future.
“The CLTC is well-positioned to revolutionize the lighting and energy spaces by developing technologies that not only prioritize human health but also the health of our energy systems and environment,” said Lori Lubin, associate dean for research and graduate studies at the College of Letters and Science.
“We are recognized as experts in the areas of smart home technology, electric vehicle charging technology, electrical panel technology and much more,” Suk said. “We will continue advancing lighting technologies, but we’re much bigger than that now and that trend will continue.”
An accomplished researcher, professor and internationally recognized lighting designer, Suk has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, guidebooks and research articles, winning two best paper awards at international conferences. He’s won 15 design awards from organizations like the International Association of Lighting Designers, the Illuminating Engineering Society, the Professional Lighting Design Convention and the American Institute of Architects.
Prior to joining UC Davis, Suk was an associate professor at the School of Architecture and Planning at The University of Texas at San Antonio, teaching classes about sustainable architectural design and energy efficient building systems. He earned a Ph.D. in architecture from University of Southern California.
Suk’s research focuses on human comfort, building energy efficiency and controls, indoor environmental quality, decarbonization and light pollution. He previously served as the CLTC’s faculty co-director from 2022-2025. In his new role, he hopes to honor the CLTC’s legacy of innovation while continuously evolving its research focus to meet the energy needs of the future.
“I feel lots of responsibility and I’m excited,” Suk added. “In the past three years, we started expanding and adapting ourselves to new market and research trends, and we’ll continue that evolution into the future. I’m thankful for the support from the dean’s office at the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis.”