Associate professor of agricultural and environmental sciences, Dr. Makonnen Lema, has been selected for a Fulbright Scholar Award to teach next year in Ethiopia, according to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Dr. Lema’s award will take him to Haramaya University for the 2013-14 academic year to teach and conduct research at one of Ethiopia’s oldest and most prestigious universities.
“This is a great opportunity for Dr. Lema,” said Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences. “I know he is originally from Ethiopia, and he will be able to take back lessons learned here and apply them in his home country.
The Fulbright Program was created in 1946 to increase cultural exchange and research between the United States and other nations. Each year roughly 1,200 U.S. scholars study, teach or conduct research abroad with the flagship program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.
“I am thrilled to have been selected for this prestigious award and extend my professional service internationally,” said Dr. Lema. “I couldn’t do this without the support of the University.”
Currently Lema teaches in the Dept. of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences where he is also the coordinator and adviser for the Animal Science and Pre-veterinary Science Program.
An alumnus of Oklahoma State University, Lema obtained his Ph.D. in ‘animal science’ in 1994. Prior to joining the faculty at Tennessee State University in 2003, he was a faculty member at Alabama A&M University for six years.
The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board was established by the U.S. Congress to supervise the Fulbright Program, set worldwide policies, select the program participants, and promote the program to audiences around the globe.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the program is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program. Since 1999, four professors from Tennessee State University have been selected for participation in the program.
