News

Cambridge University Press is reporting the book “Sustainable Energy: Engineering Fundamentals and Applications” authored by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Serdar Celik, PhD, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, is now adopted as a textbook globally distributed to universities in 14 countries.

This comprehensive guide to sustainable energy, that contains more than 160 end-of-chapter problems, builds robust connections between abstract theory and practical applications, providing students with a global perspective on the subject. According to Celik, the text Includes a succinct refresher on essential thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer, giving students a solid foundation on which to build and introduces technologies for hydropower, biomass, geothermal, ocean, solar and wind energy, and fuel cells, with material on nuclear energy, fossil fuel generation and future energy directions, providing a consistent framework for analyzing past, present and future energy systems.

“I am humbled to see globally how wide the book has been adopted as a textbook by universities from around the world. This motivates me more to start working on the second edition of the book,” said Celik.

Universities that employ Celik’s textbook in their curriculm include École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Caen (France), Gazi University (Turkey), Glasgow Caledonian University (Scotland), Penn State University Harrisburg (USA), Technical University of Denmark (Denmark), Texas A&M University (USA), and University of Roma (Italy) to name a few.

Celik, a member of the Midwest Climate Collaborative, has won numerous awards, most recently the 2025 Sustainability Leadership Award. He is part of a team receiving $1.5M grant from Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The grant underwrites a project led by Connie Frey-Spurlock, PhD, director of the Successful Communities Collaborative, that is designed to strengthen the capacity of Metro East communities to compete and deliver clean energy.

“When scholarship travels beyond borders, it becomes more than a book, it becomes a global classroom,” said Cem Karacal, professor of Industrial Engineering and Dean of the School of Engineering. “The international adoption of Dr. Celik’s work reflects the lasting impact of his knowledge, dedication, and commitment to educating students worldwide.

PHOTO: SIUE School of Engineering’s Serdar Celik, PhD, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and Chair of the Climate and Sustainability Advisory Board and author of "Sustainable Energy: Engineering Fundamentals and Applications," presents at last spring’s “Energy Water Food Nexus” symposium at Center for Spirituality and Sustainability, Fuller Dome at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville