The Robert W. Thunen Memorial Scholarship annually awards between $1,000 and $5,000 to college upperclassmen and graduate students who are attending a university in Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington, and desire to pursue illumination as a career. Graduate applicants must be undertaking a lighting-centered project as part of work towards a graduate degree. To apply, interested students must submit a Statement of Purpose with respect to their lighting education and arrange for at least three letters of recommendation, at least one of which shall be from someone involved with lighting professionally or academically.If you’re a college upperclassman or graduate student in Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington, and desire to pursue illumination as a career, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.About Illuminating Engineering Society of North America-San Francisco SectionThe San Francisco Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) is the primary Bay Area organization providing educational programs and events for professional development and networking focused on lighting for the built environment. We seek to bring a broader understanding of best practices, technology, and design in lighting to designers, specifiers, architects, engineers, owners and builders.

- Third or fourth year undergraduate student with lighting-related studies.- Graduate students with lighting-related studies.- Special consideration for specific projects or Grad students working toward a thesis about light or lighting.- Fields related to lighting – architecture, electrical engineering, interior design, theater, film/TV, lighting design, vision or a field clearly related to lighting.- Students must be enrolled in school in northern California, northern Nevada, Oregon or Washington state.