Ian Ashdown’s Bio

Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES – Senior Scientist for SunTracker Technologies

Ian Ashdown is a consultant with forty years’ experience in lighting design, research and development, and software engineering. He is currently Senior Scientist and President of SunTracker Technologies (Victoria, BC), where he is developing lighting design software for architectural, horticultural, entertainment and health applications.

Forty years is too long to talk about, so a few highlights:

Master’s degree in Computer Science (University of British Columbia, 2001)
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (University of British Columbia, 1973)
Senior Scientist for SunTracker Technologies Ltd. (2011- present)
Chief Scientist for Lighting Analysts Inc. (1998-present)
Senior Scientist for Cooledge Lighting (2009-2014)
Senior Research Scientist for Philips Lighting (2007-2010)
Senior Research Scientist for TIR Systems Limited (2000-2007)
Head of Research for Ledalite Architectural Products (1990-2002)
Senior Software Engineer for Glenayre Research & Development (1986-1990)
Senior Electrical Engineer for Vancouver Skytrain Project (1981-1986)
Recipient of 2017 Illuminating Engineering Society Medal
Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society (2001)
IES Sky Glow Committee Vice Chair (2017-present)
IES Computer Committee Chair (2009-2010)
SPIE Solid State Lighting Conference co-chair (2005-2009)
Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Fellow (2001)
IES Calculations Committee Chair (1998-2000)
Editor of Chapter Nine of the IESNA Lighting Handbook, Ninth Edition (2000)
International Lighting Commission (CIE) Advisory Member
Optical Society of America Senior Member
Council for Optical Radiation Measurement (CORM) member
Journal of the Optical Society of America technical reviewer
Leukos technical reviewer
Morgan Kauffman / Elsevier manuscript reviewer
Author of Radiosity: A Programmer’s Perspective (John Wiley & Sons, 1994)
42 academic papers, 98 technical articles, more than 136 patents and patents pending, 6 book chapters, et cetera.

His professional and personal interests have two common themes: an enduring love of mathematics and an endless fascination with light. These have led to explorations ranging from photometric theory and eigenanalysis to genetic algorithms and holographic techniques.

Ian is currently hard at work on several projects involving intelligent lighting controls real-time dynamic lighting design software, horticultural electric lighting, and daylighting. When he is not working, he prefers to hike at elevations above 8,000 feet in the Canadian Rockies, where you can almost see his home in West Vancouver some 500 miles away.