Michael Ramsaur is a professor of lighting design at Stanford University. He also serves as an Honorary Professor at the Central Academy of Drama, Beijing and has taught regularly at the Bavarian Theater Academy Munich and as a Guest Professor at the University of Arts Belgrade in the Interdisciplinary Program in Theater Design and at Trinity College, Dublin. Professor Ramsaur was awarded a Fulbright Grant and has given lectures or workshop in 19 countries. He has had a 40-year career in theater including owning and operating San Francisco Theatrical Supply, a stage lighting sales and rental company. He has served as Lighting Designer, designing over 200 productions for many theater companies in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Berkeley Repertory Theater, San Jose Civic Light Opera, West Bay Opera, Scholar Opera, Lamplighters, TheatreWorks, and the Broadway by the Bay where he is the resident lighting designer having designed over 70 productions. He has been awarded Outstanding Lighting Design awards from the San Francisco Bay Area Critics, Dean Goodman Award, and Drama Logue Awards. His articles on lighting techniques have been published in three countries and he has created a computerized software program to aid lighting designers.