Principal Research Scientist, retired
Florida Solar Energy Center
A research institute of the
University of Central Florida
SunPine Consulting
3517 Elderview Dr.
Chattanooga, TN 37419
423-821-0981
RMcCluney@comcast.net
● Consultant in optical system design, solar optics, computerized ray tracing of complex optical systems, and the design of light-piped daylighting systems
● Author and writer
— Technical subjects for lay audiences
— Environmental ethics, nonfiction
● Environmental lecturer, visit: www.futureofhumanity.org & http://www.ecospeakers.com/speakers/mccluneyr.html
● New books published:
Humanity's Environmental Future: Making Sense in a Troubled World
Getting to the Source: Readings on Environmental Values
SunPine Press, Cape Canaveral, Florida, © 2004
For more on these books: www.sunpinepress.com.
Click here for Detailed resume
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Ross McCluney is a nationally recognized scientist, author, and designer. His research specialties include optical system design and evaluation, building window solar radiation analysis, solar cooker and solar water distillation system design. He collaborates with artist Susan Miller on the design and fabrication of artistic sundials for public spaces (www.sunpath-designs.com). 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 60 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.
His scientific career has spanned three and a half decades. Click here to see the entire list of his publications.
His primary interest is in the energy and illumination performance of fenestrations 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 has served on the Boards of Directors of Indian River Audubon Society and Florida Audubon Society, and is currently 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 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.
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.
He has served as a consultant to Kenergy Corporation, 3M Company, Syracuse Research Institute, the Dade County Florida Department of Parks and Recreation, Public Works Canada, Synertech Corporation, T. J. Bottom Industries, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Verosol-USA, Office of Energy-Related Inventions, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Holder Construction Company (builder of the Team Disney Building and world’s largest sundial, Lake Buena Vista, FL), BRW Architects, Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Kell, Munoz, Wigodsky Architects, San Antonio, Morrison Associates Sundials, the U.S. Department of Justice, and Cardinal Industries.