Jae Yong Suk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Design and Associate Director of the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at UC Davis. Suk has a unique background as a highly accomplished researcher, professor, and internationally recognized lighting designer. 

Suk’s lighting research focuses on human factors topics including the impact of glare associated with daylighting, visual comfort, and urban lighting. His research has been widely published in various journal venues such as Sustainable Cities and Society, Energy and Buildings, and Building and Environment. His numerous contributions and publications on lighting and daylighting topics have been acknowledged with “best paper” awards from Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) in 2019 and Passive and Low Energy Architecture (PLEA) in 2016.

As a professional lighting designer, Suk has received national recognition and top awards for his work from the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the Professional Lighting Design Convention (PLDC), and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Significant projects where Suk served as the senior lighting designer/daylighting specialist include the United States Courthouse in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Tom Bradley International Terminal, the Playa Vista Central Park, and the daylighting design for the Anacostia-Neighborhood and Tenley-Friendship Libraries in Washington, D.C. Suk has been engaged in the lighting design community as an active member of IALD and IES, and as a recurring IES Illumination Award Judge.

At UC Davis Department of Design, Suk teaches Lighting Technology & Design (DES 136A), Daylighting & Interior Design (DES 137A/137B), and continues the annual LED student design competition as part of DES 136B.

Suk joined UC Davis after a distinguished career at the University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA) in the School of Architecture and Planning where he led the lighting and daylighting research and education program. His teaching efforts have received strong engagement from the IES San Antonio and Dallas Chapters, and his students have received numerous awards for their lighting design and research efforts. In addition, Suk served as the architecture program leader, graduate advisor of record, and coordinator of a new Ph.D. program in Architecture at UTSA.