The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) is proud to announce the 2025 recipients for the IES Medal Award and Louis B. Marks Award. These awards are the highest honor for the IES, recognizing members’ achievements in technical and non-technical contributions to the lighting profession and Society, respectively.
This year, the IES’s most prestigious technical achievement, the IES Medal Award, is bestowed upon Kevin Houser, FIES. The Medal Award recognizes meritorious technical achievement that has conspicuously furthered the profession, art or knowledge of illuminating engineering.
Kevin is an icon in the architectural lighting industry noteworthy for his accomplishments in teaching, research, innovation, and academic advising. He has published more than 60 journal articles in peer-reviewed journals, has published more than 100 other publications, has been recognized by a number of academic and technical awards, has five awarded patents, and has been a PI on more than 35 projects totaling more than USD $5.4 million. Under his leadership, LEUKOS, the journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, became the highest ranked journal in the lighting industry and increased the IES’ international reach. He has supervised seven completed PhD degrees and 14 completed masters degrees; Kevin’s students have themselves gone on to make significant contributions to the lighting industry. Kevin has an incredible record of service, serving on dozens of committees in IES, CIE, IALD, and more throughout his career.
The esteemed Louis B. Marks Award, named in honor of the first President of the IES, is presented to a member of the Society in recognition of exceptional service of a non-technical nature. This year, the IES recognizes Charles E. “Chip” Israel, FIES with this honor.
For his enthusiastic and ever-present support and mentoring for the lighting industry’s emerging professionals and entrepreneurs, for his leadership support as a Past President of the IES, and for his diplomacy in work and in travel as a lighting industry spokesperson, the IES and its members award Chip Israel with the Louis B. Marks Award for his demonstration—through action—of the mission of the organization.
Houser and Israel will be celebrated in-person at the upcoming annual conference, IES25: The Lighting Conference in Anaheim, CA, during the Society & Board Awards reception on Thursday evening, August 21. Recipients of the IES Distinguished Service Award, IES Fellow Designation, and IES Presidential Award will also be recognized during the ceremony.
About the IES
Established in 1906, the Illuminating Engineering Society is the recognized technical and educational authority on illumination. Our mission is to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public. We provide a variety of professional development, publications, networking and educational opportunities to our membership of engineers, architects, designers, educators, students, contractors, distributors, utility personnel, manufacturers and scientists in nearly 60 countries. Through our American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited process, we publish and maintain the Lighting Library®, with over 100 standards written by subject matter experts in our technical committees. In all our efforts, we strive to improve life through quality of light. To learn more about us, visit www.ies.org.