A Lancaster University professor is all set to become an official custodian of night skies preserving them for future generations.

Professor Nick Dunn has been appointed by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) as an official advocate in recognition of his ongoing work to protect the night skies for present and future generations.

He is only the 7^th person in the UK to be appointed to such a role and the majority of others are conservationists.

Professor Dunn is the founding Director of the Dark Design Laboratory, funded by Research England as part of the £13m E3 Beyond Imagination project, exploring the impacts of nocturnal activity on humans and non-humans, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of urban places at night.

His team are currently establishing the laboratory to investigate how to better environments, products, and services that design with darkness rather than against it.

For the IDA, Nick will be working across academia and multiple design professions to promote positive engagements with darkness and increase public understanding of key issues.

This will involve new approaches to how we design and integrate lighting in places, with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. We will help tackle the hidden global challenge of light pollution through new products and services.

Said Professor Dunn: “The impact of artificial lighting on human health and biodiversity is well known yet design has largely been absent from such research. Our work will redress this, ensuring we commit, act and engage others in the future of our shared planet.”

Professor Dunn’s ongoing research also aims to show the role the arts, humanities and social sciences can bring to provide new experiences and understandings of darkness.

He is the co-editor of the forthcoming ‘Rethinking Darkness: Cultures, Histories, Practices’(Routledge, 2020).

Professor Dunn is inviting colleagues to get in touch to discuss the potential of working together. Email: nick.dunn@lancaster.ac.uk