Prof. Tilahun Seyoum Workneh
Bio:
Professor Tilahun Seyoum Workneh is an academic staff of the discipline of Agricultural Engineering of the School of Engineering of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He received his BSc degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1990, MEngSc degree in 1996 and PhD degree 2003. He has over 30 years of experience in multidisciplinary research and teaching in Engineering. His research interest includes heat and mass transfer, hybrid drying technology, non-thermal processing and preservation technologies, optimization and modelling of processes, postharvest technology and process engineering of fruits and vegetables, food safety engineering, engineered systems, environmental modification and control. He has taught several undergraduate and postgraduate modules/courses. He has developed / revised undergraduate and postgraduate engineering curricula. He has supervised over 40 MSc, doctoral and postdoctoral research projects. He has published over 160 articles in multidisciplinary research areas of engineering and sciences. He is a C2 NRF rated researcher in South Africa. He has developed low-cost cooling technologies produce storage. He also developed an integrated agro-technologies. He is a fellow of the South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers (SAIAE), American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), Pan African Society of Agricultural Engineers, and professional member South African Association of Food Science and Technology (SAAoFST). He received over ten research and teaching awards from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Daniel Kitaw
Professor Industrial Engineering
Bio:
Daniel Kitaw is Professor of Industrial Engineering (IE) at Addis Ababa University (AAU), an affiliate professor at New Mexico State University, USA, and lectures at Polytechnic of Turin, Italy and at Nuremberg University, Germany. He obtained his BSc in Mechanical Engineering with distinction from Addis Ababa University in 1980, MSc and PhD in IE from Polytechnic of Turin – Italy in 1984 and 1999, respectively.
Professor Daniel has participated and organized numerous seminars and workshops in many countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. He has authored and coauthored many scholarly articles both in national and international peer reviewed journals. He has served as editor-in-chief of Zede, Journal of Engineers and Architects. He is a pioneer and a key player in the development of MSc and PhD programs in IE at AAU. He has advised over one hundred MSc Theses and twenty-four PhD dissertations so far, and currently he is supervising ten PhD candidates.
Professor Daniel has been an advocate of University-Industry linkage programs since 1985, and the concept of triple helix is close to his heart. He served as the first Director for University-Industry Partnership at AAU, an associate dean for research and graduate program of the Faculty of Technology, and member of graduate council of AAU. He has also been consulting both public and private organizations in his field.
Professor Daniel was the founding member and a key player of Ethiopian Quality Award. He has also been instrumental in fostering change management and paradigm shift at AAU and in the society at national level. To this effect, he published a book entitled “እነሆ መንገድ ለኢትዮጵያ” that deals with quality, productivity and innovation for the Ethiopian youth. He has been serving AfricaLics in quality of Scientific Board member since 2018. Currently he is member of National Council of Ethiopian Standards, Vice Chair of the board of Adama Science and Technology University. He also served as board Chairman of Ethio–Engineering Group (Former METEC) and board member of Ethiopian Sugar Corporation. He is also a founding fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences (EAS).