Haramaya University’s Administrative Board awards the rank of full Professorship in Range land Ecology and Bio-diversity to Dr.Tessema Zewdu
Dr. Tessema Zewdu was born on 19 March 1971 at Aykel town, Chilga Woreda of North Gondar administration in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia. He attended his Primary and Secondary School at Aykel town. After the completion of his HighSchool, he joined the then Alemaya University of Agriculture (currently Haramaya University) in September 1988 and graduated with BSc Degree in Animal Sciences in November 1991. Soon after graduation, he was employed by the Ethiopian Insititute ofAgricultural Researchat Adet Agricultural Research Centerand served as a Researcher and Head of the Animal and Feed Resources Research Programfrom February 1992 to January 2002.
In September 1999, Dr. Tessema has joined the School of Graduate Studies of the Haramaya University and obtained his MSc Degree in Animal Production, focusing on Pasture Management. In February 2003, Dr. Tessema employed by the School of Animal and Range Sciences at the Haramaya University as Lecturer. In November 2007,Dr. Tessema joined the Resource Ecology Group of Wageningen University of the Netherlands to pursue his PhD studies and in October 2011 he received Doctorof Philosophy in the field of Production Ecology and Resource Conservation. He did his PhD research under the supervision of Prof. Dr. H.H.T. Prins and Dr. W.F. de Boerof Wageningen University and examined by Prof. Dr. F.J.J.M. Bongers and Dr. E.M. Veenendaal of Wageningen University, and Prof.Dr.M.G. Rietkerk of Utrecht University of the Netherlands, and Prof. Dr. S. Deckersof the University of Leuvenof Belgium. The title of his PhD dissertation was “Recovery of Rangelands: The Functioning of Soil Seed Banks in a Semi-Arid African Savannas”, that investigates on the mechanisms how changes in grazing management in the form of mobility and access to key grazing areas affects aboveground vegetation dynamics, soil qualities and restoration potentials, as well as the germination ecology of annual and perennial grass species, in a typical semi-arid pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of Ethiopia. He produced six articles out of his PhD dissertation and published in reputable international journals.
From February 2003 to date, Dr. Tessema has been teaching various undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the Haramaya Universityin Rangeland Ecology and Management, Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services,Environmental Degradation and Restoration Ecology, Feed Resources Characterization and Forage Development,Ecological Methods, Multivariate and Survival Analyses, Experimental Designs and Statistical Analyses, and others.Accordingly, he has been supervising over 50 Masters’ studentsand 7 Doctoral studentsat the Haramaya University in the areas of Animal Production, Animal Feed Resources and Nutrition, Rangeland Ecology and Biodiversity, Natural Resources Management and Enviromental Sciences, Climate Change Adapataion and Mitigation, as well as in other related fields of studies.Moreover, he has been serving as board of examiners during Master theses and Doctral dissertations examination at the Haramaya University and other Universities in Ethiopia.
Dr. Tessema has recieved several competitive research grants from various institutions such as Development Inovation Fund of the World Bank through the Ethiopian Ministry of Eduction, International Foundation for Science in Sweden, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI-African Rising project, ILRI-LIVES project, ILRI-IPMS project and IRLI-SIMLESA proect),GEF and UNDP through the Ethiopian Wildlife Consrvation Authority, Ethiopan Institute of Agricultural Research and Haramaya University. Thus, anumber of research articles are published from these research projects. He has also provided a number of consultancy services to various institutions in Ethiopia, namely, the Horn of Africa Regional Program of Addis Ababa University, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Reseources, Dire Dawa Administration, and Peace Center for Climate and Social Resielence Project under the College of Law of the Haramaya University that was implemented in Borana Zone of Oromia Regional state of Ethiopia on conflict resolutions as a resoult of key grazing and water resources, as well as on sustainalabe utilization, mangement and conservation of rangeland resesources under the ever changing climate and global warming.
Dr. Tessema has developed over 25 years of experience in teaching, research and community engagement endeavors and involved in various multidisciplinary research activities in different institutions in Ethiopia including the Haramaya University, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Amhara Agricultural Research Institute, Oromia Agricultural Research Institute and Somali Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Research Institute.Dr. Tessema’s academic expertise and research interest revolves across broaderissues of ecological studies, focusing on rangeland ecosystems, under the influence of biotic and abiotic factors, animal-plant-soil interactions, feed resourcesavailability, livestock production and soil carbon dynamics, as well as impacts of land degradation and climate change on rangeland ecosystems, livestock production and pastoral livelihoods.As a result of his continued engagement in graduate teaching and research, he has published over 100 publications as author and co-authors, out of which, 60 articles in peer reviewed international journals, 2 books, 12 articles as book chapters, and 28 articles in proceedings of national and international conferences, symposia and workshops.
Dr. Tessema has actively involved and participated in various national and international trainings,workshops, symposia and conferences.
Dr. Tessema has served the Haramaya University in various leadership positions as an Asssocaite Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences between March 2013 and June 2016, and as Head of the School of Animal and Range Sciences between August 2003 and Februray 2007. Moreover, he has been actively particpating in various committees, to mention some, member of the Council of Graduate Studies, Committee member for the revision of the Learning/Teaching Processes of the College of the Continuing and Distance Education, member of the Technical Committee for the Lake Haramaya Watershed Development Project, Committee member for the Recalibration of the Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR) and member of the Management Council of the Haramaya University. In addition, Dr. Tessema has also been worked as a Chairpersonfor the Promotion of Academic Staff of the college, as well as member of the School Council and Graduate Committee of the School of Animal and Range Sciences.
His other professional contributions include active involvement as anonymous reviewer of several articles submitted for publicationsfor more than 20 reputable international journals; to mention some, Animal Feed Science and Technology, Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, Journal of Environmental Management, Plant Ecology and Diversity, Arid Land Research and Management, Land Degradation and Development, Journal of Vegetation Science, Restoration Ecology, Grass and Forage Science, Journal of Arid Lands, Journal of Forestry Research,Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, Grassland Science, African Journal of Ecology,Biological Invasions, The Rangeland Journal, The International Journal of Forestry Review, Diversity Journal, South African Journal of Animal Sciences, East African Journal of Sciences, East African Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Ethiopian Journal of Animal Production, and others. Last but not least, Dr. Tessema is a member of the Ethiopian Society of Animal Productionsince 1993, and member of the International Society for Development and Sustainability based in Japan, as well as a Technical Editor to the East African Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences that is published by Haramaya University of Ethiopia.