Principal’s Academic Bio

Professor Uthayan Thurairajah is a senior academic, professional engineer, and interdisciplinary researcher with over 25 years of experience spanning electrical and lighting engineering, applied research, and university‑level teaching. He has led and delivered more than 300 complex infrastructure projects in Canada and internationally, including traffic control systems, high‑mast and roadway lighting, area illumination, and intelligent control systems, within public‑sector regulatory frameworks.

He holds advanced academic credentials in Canada and the United Kingdom, including University Professor certification (UTDP & SEDA), and served as Associate Professor at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) from 2011 to 2019. His scholarly contributions include more than 100 peer‑reviewed publications and international conference presentations across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Pacific.

Prof. Thurairajah’s interdisciplinary research spans engineering, physics, architecture, medicine, environmental science, and lighting science. A member of leading professional bodies, he currently serves as Chair of the IES Obtrusive Lighting Committee and contributes to the development of national and international standards.  He also serves as a Greater Toronto Area advocate for Dark Sky International.


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Awards

  • King Charles III Coronation Medal Award, Canada (2025)
  • Fifteen Years Volunteer Service Award, Professional Engineers Ontario, Canada (2023)
  • Fellow of Engineers Canada Award, Engineers Canada, Canada (2017)
  • Ten Years Volunteer Service Award, Professional Engineers Ontario, Canada (2017)
  • Meritorious Achievement Award in Research & Education, IMTC, Denmark, (2016)
  • Twenty-Five Years Volunteer Service Award, Government of Ontario, Canada (2014)
  • Five Years Volunteer Service Award, Professional Engineers Ontario, Canada (2013)
  • Appreciation Award for Speaking, PLDA, Copenhagen, Denmark, (2013)
  • Dedication and Outstanding Contribution Award, IMSA, Florida, USA, (2012)
  • PEO Scarborough Chapter Appreciation Award, City of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (2011)
  • International Illumination Design Award, IESNA, Toronto, Canada, (2008)
  • Two Years Volunteer Service Award, Scarborough Grace Hospital, Toronto, Canada, (2006)
  • Advanced Roadway Lighting Award, Holophane, USA, (2003)
  • Five Years Volunteer Service Award, Government of Ontario, Canada (1998)
  • Science Award of Merit, Midland Avenue Collegiate Institute, Scarborough, Canada (1991)
  • Ontario Scholar, Government of Ontario, Canada (1991)
  • Honour Certificate in Mathematics, SCAS, Scarborough, Canada, (1989)

Professional Memberships

  • Advocate, DarkSky International, https://darksky.org/ 
  • Institute of Lighting Professionals (ILP), https://theilp.org.uk/ 
  • National Research Council of Canada (NRC), https://nrc.canada.ca/en 
  • Member, International Commission on Illumination (CIE), https://cie.co.at/ 
  • International Astronomical Union (IAU), https://www.iau.org/ 
  • Member, Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) www.aihm.org
  • Member, Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) www.aptrweb.org
  • Member, American Holistic Health Association (AHMA), USA ahha.org
  • Member, Ontario College of Trades (OCOT), ON www.collegeoftrades.ca
  • Member, The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS), Canada. www.apegs.ca
  • Member, Professional Lighting Design Convention (PLDC), Europe. pld-c.com
  • Member, The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the province of British Columbia (APEGBC), Canada. www.apeg.bc.ca
  • Member, Association of Professional Engineers, Geoscientists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA), Canada www.apega.ca
  • Member, Transportation Association of Canada (TAC), www.tac-atc.ca
  • Member, Illumination Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), USA. www.ies.org
  • Member, International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA), USA.www.imsasafety.org
  • Member, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), Ontario, Canada. www.peo.on.ca

Recent Academic Publication List

Thurairajah, U. (2025a) ‘A Critical Analysis of the Reciprocal Tariff Misconceptions in U.S. Economic Policy’, International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews, 12(2), pp. 556–570. Available at: https://doi.org/10.56975/IJRAR.V12I2.312756. (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2025b) ‘Thiruvalluvar’s Conception of Education and Wisdom: A Tamil Philosophical Perspective with Contemporary Implications’, New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies, 4, pp. 42–62. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nicass/v4/5857. (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2025c) ‘A Comparative Philosophical Study into Stately Ethics and Good Governance: Lessons from Statecraft in Thirukkural’, New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies, 4, pp. 127–149. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nicass/v4/6013. (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2023a) ‘A Novel Method to Prove the Visibility Distance of Candlelight and the Milky Way’s Vega Star and Apply This Knowledge to Outdoor Lighting Applications’, SCIREA Journal of Physics, 8(1), pp. 1–25. Available at: https://doi.org/10.54647/physics140512.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2023b) A Comparative Study: The Impacts of Artificial Light and the Airborne Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in Urban Versus Rural Areas in Changing Climate’, Preprints, 2023051328. Available at: https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202305.1328.v1.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2023c) ‘Discovery of Threshold Visibility Limit (TVL) Using the Number of Photons Intruding into the Human Eye and Possible Application to Outdoor Lighting’, Fundamental Research and Application of Physical Science, 7, pp. 82–102. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/fraps/v7/6642A.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2023d) ‘An Elite Roadway Illuminance Calculation (ERIC) Method Provides Optimum Performance and Cost-saving without Compromising Safety’, Recent Progress in Science and Technology, 8, pp. 98–119. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/rpst/v8/5610A.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2023e) ‘Discovery of Artificial Photolysis that Influences Air Pollution in Urban Versus Rural Areas in Changing Climate’, Emerging Issues in Environment, Geography and Earth Science, 1, pp. 55–79. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/eieges/v1/10956F. (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2023f) ‘A Comparative Study: First Canadian Tamil Scholar Rv. G.U. Pope’s Best Thirukkural Reinvention’, Research Highlights in Language, Literature and Education, 9, pp. 33–62. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/rhlle/v9/7421A. (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2023g) ‘The Sengol in India’s New Parliament Is a Secular Symbol with Profound Historical and Heritage Significance’, Recent Trends in Arts and Social Studies, 5, pp. 169–203. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/rtass/v5/6876A. (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2022a) A Proposed Method to Pre-qualify a Wireless Monitoring and Control System for Outdoor Lighting to Reduce Energy Use, Light Pollution, and Carbon Emissions’, in Littlewood, J., Howlett, R.J. and Jain, L.C. (eds) Sustainability in Energy and Buildings 2021. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol. 263. Singapore: Springer, pp. 417–429. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6269-0_31.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2022b) The Development of a Smart Tunable Full-Spectrum LED Lighting Technology Which May Prevent and Treat COVID-19 Infections, for Society’s Resilience and Quality of Life’, in Howlett, R.J., Jain, L.C., Littlewood, J.R. and Balas, M.M. (eds) Smart and Sustainable Technology for Resilient Cities and Communities. Singapore: Springer, pp. 457–478. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9101-0_21.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2022c) A Comparative Study: The Benefits of a Novel Illuminance Calculation Method over Luminance Calculation for Optimal Roadway Lighting Design Applications’, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2224, 012117. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2224/1/012117.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2021a) A Novel Approach to Controlling Outdoor Light Pollution by Adopting Smart Science and Technology to Improve Residents’ Quality of Life in the Built Environment’, in Littlewood, J., Howlett, R.J. and Jain, L.C. (eds) Sustainability in Energy and Buildings 2020. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol. 203. Singapore: Springer, pp. 367–380.  Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8783-2_31.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2021b) A Proposed Method to Pre-qualify Sustainable Energy-Saving LED Luminaires for Outdoor Urban Lighting Applications’, in Littlewood, J., Howlett, R.J. and Jain, L.C. (eds) Sustainability in Energy and Buildings 2020. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol. 203. Singapore: Springer, pp. 353–366. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8783-2_30.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Barfoot, J., Clarke, J., Hayden, M.E., Fadzil, S.F.S., Jaradat, S., Littlewood, J., Thurairajah, U., et al. (in press) An exploration of authentic and appropriate teaching, learning, and assessment practice in continuing professional development to identify opportunities for learning enhancement in the built environment’. Available at: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2915948.  (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2018) ‘A method to pre-qualify LED luminaires for roadway lighting retrofit projects’, IESNA Roadway Lighting Conference, Quebec, Canada. Available at:  https://ies.org/committee/roadway-lighting/ (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2015a) ‘A holistic roadway lighting design approach makes a vital contribution to the visibility, operations efficiency, health and safety of motorists and the public’, 10th Biennial Joint Meeting of the CNC/CIE and CIE/USA, Toronto, Canada.  Available at:  https://cnc-cie.ca/ (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2015b) ‘Artificial light and health: A human-centred approach to indoor and outdoor lighting design to synchronise with circadian rhythms using LED technology’, Poster presented at 10th Biennial Joint Meeting of the CNC/CIE and CIE/USA, Toronto, Canada, Vol. 380. Available at:  https://cnc-cie.ca/ (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2015c) LED Street Lighting and Prequalification of Approved Equipment, Region of Waterloo. Unpublished project report. WSP Canada Group, Ontario. Available at: https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/index.aspx (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2014) ‘Lighting design and health: A source–modifier–receiver model approach for salutogenic design to promote wellbeing and quality of life in built environments’, 10th World Congress on Design and Health, Toronto, Canada.  Available at: https://designhealth.academy/ (Accessed 23 August 2025).

Thurairajah, U. (2013) ‘Integrating non-visual optical radiation into lighting design’, 4th International Conference on Lighting, PLDC, Copenhagen, Denmark.  Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354986612_Integrating non-visual_Optical_Radiation_into_Lighting_Design (Accessed 23 August 2025).