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The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering (SOE) is hosting its third ‪‪SIUE Energy Symposium at noon Wednesday, April 21. This year’s theme is Sustainable Campuses.

“We have focused on creating an annual event to become the top-of-mind institution when people talk about energy, climate change, and sustainability topics in the region” said Serdar Celik, PhD, professor and graduate program director in the SOE Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. “We hope to increase understanding of regional and global energy issues and promote awareness on various energy topics. With this year’s theme focusing on sustainable campuses, we decided to bring together experts in sustainability from both U.S. and European sides.”

Celik is also chair of SIUE’s Climate and Sustainability Advisory Board, which provides leadership for SIUE’s sustainability initiatives.

The Symposium will begin with welcome addresses from SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD, and SOE Dean Cem Karacal, PhD, followed by presentations from the distinguished speakers. The event will conclude with a question and answer session and closing remarks.

The symposium hosts internationally recognized experts from different institutions in the U.S. and in Europe. The panelists are:

• Riccardo Guidetti, coordinator of the Città Studi-Sustainable Campus Project, University of Milan, Italy
• Pinar Menguc, director of the Center for Energy, Environment and Economy, Ozyegin University, Turkey
• Merry Rankin, director of sustainability, Iowa State University
• Ugur Soytas, head of Climate Economics and Risk Management, Technical University of Denmark
• Connie Frey Spurlock, director of the SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative
• Phil Valko, assistant vice chancellor for sustainability, Washington University in St. Louis

Sustainability awareness and activities at SIUE have been constantly gaining momentum over the past decade. Some of the sustainability achievements of SIUE include:

• A 30-kilowatt solar array installed atop the new Science Building
• Founding Member, St. Louis Higher Education Sustainability Consortium
• Faculty initiated Green Roof Environmental Evaluation Network (G.R.E.E.N.)
• Recognized as one of the four Living Architecture Regional Centers of Excellence nationally by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the Green Infrastructure Foundation
• Established bike share program

“With the increase in both global population and our changing habits in consuming energy, the need for sustainability has become more important than ever,” Celik said. “Awareness is the first step to managing these challenges for a more sustainable future.

“We decided to focus on campuses this year to approach the problem at a specific scale. I believe hearing the experiences of the professionals will be a great step for all institutions involved in terms of understanding and enhancing campus sustainability. SIUE has been a strong advocate for sustainability in the region and we are proud to be hosting such an event and bringing these experts together.”

For more information, contact Celik at scelik@siue.edu.

Photo: Serdar Celik, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering in the SIUE School of Engineering.