SIUE One of Four in Nation to be Named…
“The ultimate goal for our research center is to promote green infrastructure in urban and suburban environments and to train our students in emerging technologies.”–Dr. Bill Retzlaff
From September 24-28, CitiesAlive held their 16th Annual Green Infrastructure Conference in Brooklyn, New York. The conference is North America’s leading forum for discussing green building infrastructure and features presentations, panel discussions, and award designations.
This year, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was named a Living Architecture Regional Center of Excellence (LARCE) by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) and the Green Infrastructure Foundation (GIF). Both GRHC and GIF are firmly rooted in the belief that research and education are key to developing and advancing the green roof and wall industry around the world. Earlier this year, they posted a nationwide call for proposals and with the hard work of three key faculty at SIUE, the University’s proposal was accepted.
The designation makes SIUE one of four institutions in the nation to be selected as a Center of Excellence and would not have been possible without the instrumental faculty who were also in attendance at the conference:
Dr. Bill Retzlaff, Distinguished Research Professor of Biological Sciences and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Susan Morgan, Professor of Civil Engineering and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the Graduate School
Dr. Serdar Celik, 2018 Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher Scholar and Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
“Our institution is committed to sustainability. This is an opportunity for students to get professional experience working with green infrastructure and then take that experience out into the real world to implement it into their own careers and lives,” stated Retzlaff.
As a next step, the center plans to reach out to faculty and collaborate with other institutions like Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The center will hold a meeting in January and anticipates to have a regional research symposium in September 2019.
Dr. Bill Retzlaff is currently the research co-director of the St. Louis metropolitan area research collaboration (G.R.E.E.N. – Green Roof Environmental Evaluation Network) based at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). His main areas of research interest include: evaluation of green roof and green wall technologies, sustainable green infrastructure, and sustainable use of residual waste products.
Dr. Susan Morgan is a licensed Professional Engineer. Since joining SIUE in 1996, she has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in water quality, environmental engineering and laboratory analysis, and waste management. Dr. Morgan has conducted research in waste management as well as green infrastructure for stormwater management. With Dr. Bill Retzlaff, she co-founded the St. Louis metropolitan area research collaboration G.R.E.E.N. – Green Roof Environmental Evaluation Network – between SIUE and regional and local industry.
Dr. Serdar Celik received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. After several years of industrial experience on environmentally-friendly cooling technologies, and completion of his PhD education, he joined SIUe in 2007. His research areas include green roofs, building energy performance, and renewable energy technologies. Dr. Celik is also a member of G.R.E.E.N., where he focuses on the energy savings of green buildings and enhancement of green roof insulation properties.
Photo credits: B. Retzlaff & SIUe Marketing and Communication
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