January 23, 2012
Shining success: University, department of architectural engineering and construction science recognized for lighting course work
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
A new designation earned by Kansas State University and the department of architectural engineering and construction science is providing students with scholarship opportunities.
The Robert J. Besal Lighting Education Fund designated the university as a qualified Besal campus for its extensive offering of coursework related to lighting and lighting systems design. The designation allows lighting students to be eligible for scholarships that have totaled nearly $600,000 since the inception of the Besal Fund in 1983. The Besal Fund encourages talented and committed students to pursue careers in the lighting industry by providing financial support.
The campus liaison for the Besal Fund will be Fred Hasler, assistant professor of architectural engineering and construction science -- and a professional engineer and accredited professional in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. Hasler coordinates lighting systems courses within the department. A collaboration of these courses and those offered by the department of communication studies, theater and dance and the department of apparel, textiles and interior design were created to gain the designation for Kansas State University.
"To qualify our students for this level of outside scholarship support is an important accomplishment and will be a great boost to our efforts of expanding the college's enrollment and graduation numbers under requirements of the Kansas' new University Engineering Initiative Act," said John English, dean of the College of Engineering. "I certainly credit architectural engineering and construction science department head Dave Fritchen as well as Professor Hasler for their diligence in bringing about this designation."
The fund was established in the honor of the late Robert J. Besal, whose career of more than 30 years in the lighting industry exemplified the high standards of knowledge, professionalism and service the Besal Fund encourages in today's students. The fund was created to provide a continuing program to improve lighting education in illuminating engineering and to find and recognize top lighting students and encourage their pursuit of lighting industry careers. More information is available at http://www.besalfund.org.