Karl G. Ruling is the Technical Standards Manager for PLASA, the international trade association for the live entertainment industry. He administers PLASA’s ANSI-accredited Technical Standards Program and writes about standards, legislation, technical issues, and trade shows for Protocol and Standards News. When time permits, he designs lighting, scenery, and special effects for theatrical events, and edits English translations of foreign standards and lighting research papers. Ruling holds an Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara with majors in Dramatic Art and Psychology. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, the National Fire Protection Association, and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology.