Tony Esposito

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Tony Esposito

Assistant Professor Durham School Arch Engr & Const. University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
PKI 104D
Omaha , NE 68182-0816
Phone
4025544482
Email
tesposito2@unl.edu
Website
Social Media

Dr. Tony Esposito is an Assistant Professor in the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Founder of Lighting Research Solutions LLC, Co-Chair of the Color Committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and former Director and Light Concept Lead at the International WELL Building Institute. He has authored or coauthored more than 30 publications on light and lighting and has delivered more than 60 presentations nationally and internationally. Recognition includes the 2019 Richard Kelly Grant, the 2019 CIBSE Walsh Weston Award by the Society of Light and Lighting, and 2025 Recognition of Extraordinary Dedication and Leadership by the IES. His research work has influenced standards of the Illuminating Engineering Society and the American National Standards Institute, products developed by lighting equipment manufacturers, and criteria implemented by lighting certification programs. His mission is to study, discover, and deliver evidence-based lighting solutions that conserve energy and promote human health and well-being.

Education

The Pennsylvania State University [State College, PA]

  • Ph.D., Architectural Engineering, Penn State University
  • Master of Architectural Engineering (M.A.E), Penn State University
  • Bachelor of Architectural Engineering (B.A.E), Penn State University

Experience

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Assistant Professor, 2025 - Present
  • International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), Director, Standard Development, Light Concept Lead, 2023-2025
  • Lighting Research Solutions LLC, Founder and Head Research Scientist, 2019 - Present 
  • Lyralux LLC, Consulting Principal Scientist, 2018 - 2021
  • Philips Lighting Research, North America, Senior Lighting Quality Researcher, 2016 - 2016
  • The Lighting Practice, Lighting Designer, 2013

Professional Leadership and Service                                                       

  • IES Light and Human Health Committee, Advisory Member, 2025–Current
  • DarkSky International Technical Committee, Member, 2025–Current
  • IES New York City Student Lighting Design Competition, Judge, 2025 
  • Richard Kelly Grant Board of Directors, Member, 2024–Current
  • DLC LUNA Advisory Group, Member, 2024–Current
  • IES Color Committee, Co-Chair, 2020–Current
  • ANSI C78.378 working group, Co-Chair, 2023–Current
  • ANSI C78.377 working group, Member, 2023–Current
  • US Department of Energy, Lighting Physiology Interest Group, Member, March 2018–present 
  • CIE U.S. National Committee (USNC) Executive Committee, Member, 2020–2022
  • IES Annual Conference Steering Committee, Member, 2017–2019
  • IES Educational Materials Review Committee, Member, 2017

Honors and Awards                                                                             

  • IES Extraordinary Dedication and Leadership, 2025
  • Walsh-Weston Award, 2019
  • Richard Kelly Grant, 2019
  • Emerging Professional Scholarship, 2016
  • Robert J. Besal Memorial Scholarship, 2015
  • Emerging Professional Scholarship, 2015
  • IALD Enlighten Americas Travel Stipend, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015

Papers in Refereed Archival Journals                                                      

  1. Smet KAG, Royer MP, Baxter D, Bretschneider E, Esposito T, Houser KW, Luedtke W, Man K, Ohno Y. 2023. Recommended Method for Determining the Correlated Color Temperature and Distance from the Planckian Locus of a Light Source. Published Online Before Print. LEUKOS. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502724.2023.2248397
  2. Esposito T, Radetsky LC. 2023. Specifying Non-White Light Sources in Outdoor Applications to Reduce Light Pollution. LEUKOS. 19(3): 269-293. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502724.2022.2121285
  3. Esposito T, Houser KW. 2022. Correlated Color Temperature is not a suitable proxy for the biological potency of light. Scientific Reports. 12(2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21755-7
  4. Houser KW, Esposito T, Royer MP, Christofferson J. 2022. A method and tool to determine the colorimetric and photobiological properties of light transmitted through glass and other optical materials. Building and Environment. 215(1): 108957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.108957
  5. Esposito T, Royer MP, Houser KW. 2022. Measures of illuminant-induced metameric mismatch: Theory, comparative analysis, and implications for application. Optics Express. 30(9): 14686-14708. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.451626 
  6. Royer MP, Whitehead W, Smet KAG, Murdoch MJ, David A, Houser KW, Esposito T, Livingston J, Ohno Y. 2023. Improved method for evaluating and specifying the chromaticity of light sources. LEUKOS. 19(1): 35-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502724.2022.2029710
  7. Royer MP, Durmus A, Houser KW, Esposito T, Wei M. 2021. Recommended methods for conducting human factors experiments on the subjective evaluation of color rendition. Lighting Research and Technology. 54(3): 199-236. https://doi.org/10.1177/14771535211019864
  8. Houser KW, Esposito T. 2020. Human-centric lighting: Foundational considerations and a five-step design process. Frontiers in Neurology. 12:630553. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2021.630553
  9. Esposito T. 2022. Prime color wavelengths improve color discrimination. LEUKOS. 18(2): 173-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502724.2020.1871361
  10. Esposito T. 2019. An adjusted error score calculation for the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test. LEUKOS. 15(2-3):195-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502724.2018.1514265
  11. David A, Esposito T, Houser KW, Royer MP, Smet KAG, Whitehead L. 2018. A vector field color rendition model for characterizing color shifts and metameric mismatch. LEUKOS. (16)2: 99-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502724.2018.1554369
  12. Esposito T, Houser KW. 2018. Models of color quality over a wide range of spectral power distributions. Lighting Research and Technology. 51(3): 331-352. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153518765953
  13. Esposito T, Houser KW. 2017. A new measure of colour discrimination for LEDs and other light sources. Lighting Research and Technology. 51(1): 5-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153517729200