Ross McCluney

Dr. McCluney is a nationally recognized scientist, author, and optical designer. His research specialties include optical system design and evaluation, building window solar radiation analysis, solar cooker and solar water distillation system design.

Since the first Earth Day in 1970, when he was a leader in the University of Miami's observance of that event, he has been writing and speaking on environmental issues for a variety of audiences.

As an optical physicist, McCluney's interests are in the optical and illumination performances of a variety of novel solar lighting systems, including the relatively new tubular skylight products being marketed by several companies.

Dr. McCluney served as technical consultant on the design and construction of the world's largest sundial at Walt Disney World and smaller ones at the University of Texas Pan American Campus in Edinburg and at the Council Bluffs Public Library in Council Bluffs, Iowa. More information about these projects is offered below. Dr. McCluney provides technical consulting services to private and governmental organizations in a variety of areas.

He has written more than 70 technical papers, including several papers for general audiences on environmental ethics, and three books. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at the college and university levels. He supervised the M.S. thesis research of several students at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.

His scientific career has spanned over three decades. His publication list can be seen at http://www.sunpineconsulting.com/McCluneyPubList2011.htm

His primary interest is in the energy and illumination performance of fenestration systems, but he also pursues work in the optical aspects of solar energy collection as well as issues of energy and environmental policy, including environmental ethics and scientific responsibility. He co-founded Sunflower Corporation, doing business as Sundolier, Inc., a manufacturer of a tracking solar lighting system (www.sundolier.com). He also co-founded the North American Sundial Society (www.sundials.org) and served as its first President.

He has served on the Boards of Directors of Indian River Audubon Society and Florida Audubon Society, and is a past Vice President of Floridians for a Sustainable Population.

Dr. McCluney's research activities in fenestration have received national and international recognition. He is past chairman of ASHRAE Technical Committee on fenestration; a member of the daylighting committee of the Illumination Engineering Society; a former member and technical consultant of the U.S. National Committee on Interior Lighting of the International Lighting Commission (CIE), and a past member of the CIE's technical committee on international daylight and solar radiation measurements. He has authored over 70 papers and two books, on both technical and environmental topics. His textbook INTRODUCTION TO RADIOMETRY AND PHOTOMETRY was published by Artech House in 1994. A second edition was published late in 2014.

Dr. McCluney obtained a Bachelor's Degree in physics from Rhodes College in Memphis and his Master's Degree in physics from the University of Tennessee. His research at the University of Tennessee involved the diffraction of light by sound waves. From 1966 to 1967, he worked as a development engineer for Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, and developed a holographic interferometer for testing large optical systems. He used this technique at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida to develop a ten-pass holographic interferometer for measuring very small changes in optical systems.

Dr. McCluney received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Miami in 1973. His dissertation research was based on the scattering of light by marine organisms. He worked as a research scientist in optical oceanography for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, from 1973 to 1976. Dr. McCluney's work there focused on the remote measurement of ocean color.

His current work focuses on the development of unique daylighting and sunlighting systems for buildings and writing and speaking on energy and environmental topics.