Dr. Halil Güven appointed as Interim Dean of SDSU Georgia

On February 1, 2018, Dr. Halil Güven was appointed as the Interim Dean of SDSU Georgia. Dr. Güven served as Vice Dean of SDSU Georgia from 2014 until his current appointment.  He has a broad range of experience in higher education and university administration, having served as the founding president of three universities abroad.

Dr. Güven is a Fulbright scholar who received his Ph.D. in 1983 from the University of Houston in mechanical engineering, concentrating on alternative energy and technology transfer to developing countries. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bogazici University (Istanbul, Turkey) in 1978. During his tenure at SDSU, he founded and directed both the Energy Engineering Institute (EEI), and the Industrial Assessment Center (funded by the USDOE).

From 1995-1998, Dr. Güven served as the Director of International Development for SDSU's College of Extended Studies in charge of developing projects in Central Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe. His work at EEI received numerous awards from the California Energy Commission, as well as the ‘Energy Innovation Award’ from the USDOE. He served as both vice president and president of the San Diego Chapter of Association of Energy Engineers, received the International Energy Professional Development Award from AEE, Teetor Educator Award from SAE, and the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award from San Diego Engineering Societies in recognition of “devoted services to the Engineering Profession and Community”.

Having served in academic leadership roles in a number of countries in the European Higher Education Area, Dr. Güven is experienced in both the Bologna Process reforms and European accreditation and institutional evaluation programs. Dr. Güven’s research interests include higher education reform and change management in higher education institutions, sustainability and building energy efficiency, energy systems optimization, and alternative energy. Dr. Güven has also published book chapters, and co-edited two books on leadership, globalization, and clash of civilizations.