Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz heads the lighting design program. He is joined by Jaymi Lee Smith. Together, they offer unique and varied points-of-view within the framework of the program.
The lighting design faculty engage in active professional careers in theatre, dance, event and architectural lighting. More information may been seen on their personal websites. Lighting design students also benefit from the opportunity to study with award-winning design faculty in Scenery, Sound, Costume, and Stage Management areas.
Lighting Faculty
Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz (lalcaraz@uci.edu): http://lradesigns.com/
Jaymi Lee Smith (jaymis@uci.edu): https://www.jaymismith.com/
Additional Design Faculty
Efren Delgadillo Jr. (Head of Scenic Design): http://www.efrendelgadillojr.com/
Holly Poe Durbin (Head of Costume Design and Design Programs): http://www.hollypoedurbin.com/
Marcy Froehlich (Costume Design Professor): http://marcyfroehlich.com/
Mike Hooker (Head of Sound Design): http://www.hookmusic.org/
Vincent Olivieri (Sound Design Professor): http://www.soundandstage.net/
David Murakami (Projection Design Adjunct Professor): https://davidmurakami.com/
Founding Faculty
Cameron Harvey- Professor Emeritus and founder of the lighting design program at UC Irvine. Designed lighting for internationally performed ballets; operas produced in Italy, Sweden, and New York; and a wide range of dramatic work in California receiving Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and Hollywood Drama-Logue awards. Served as chair of the UCI Drama Department, producing artistic director of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, president of the University Resident Theatre Association (URTA), and trustee of the National Theatre Conference. Authored articles in Lighting Dimensions and Theatre Design and Technology and consulted on numerous theatre projects, including the Irvine Barclay Theatre and Claire Trevor Theatre on campus. Professional affiliations included the Theatre Communications Group, Shakespeare Theatre Association of America, and United Scenic Artists, Local 829.
Tom Ruzika is honored to have been a collaborative member of the UCI lighting design faculty for 35 years and is proud of the talented students who participated in the program. Tom’s over 350 theatrical lighting designs have been seen on Broadway, in national tours, the Hollywood Bowl, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and for many national and international regional theatres, dance companies, and opera companies. His entertainment lighting can be seen at theme parks in six different countries. Mr. Ruzika with his team of Ruzika Company lighting designers and theatre consultants has designed architectural lighting for over 300 prestigious hotels, casinos, restaurants, historic building facades, and retail centers internationally and has planned over 100 commercial theatres, theme park performance venues, and educational theatres. Tom has received numerous awards for his contributions to the art and craft of lighting design including the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Lifetime Achievement Award in Lighting and the Lighting Dimensions Designer of the Year award.
