Project Director
Molalign Belay Adugna (PhD)
Team Role:
Project Co-Director for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia
Education:
- BA- Sociology and Social Anthropology with distinction, Addis Ababa University
- MA- Sociology of Health and Well-being, Addis Ababa University
- PhD- Rehabilitation Science, Queen’s University, Canada
Experience:
Dr. Molalign has 10+ years of teaching and administrative experience, working for the University of Gondar in Ethiopia. Being born, raised, and educated in a rural village in Ethiopia, he was engaged in farming activities and later local tour guiding until the completion of his university study. Dr. Molalign’s dissertation project is entitled ‘The Quest for Inclusion and Overcoming Stigma’ where he works with children with disabilities and their caregivers as well as policymakers and practitioners to inform disability awareness and inclusive education in Ethiopia.
He is the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship fellow who completed his public management and leadership at Bridgewater State University in the USA. He is also the 2021 fellow of Stigma Research Training institute, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of Health, MD, US. Currently, Molalign is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and is the Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar. He also works for different local and international organizations as a volunteer trainer, guest speaker, and trustee.
Contact information:
Email: belay_molalign@yahoo.com
Telephone: +251 913 245 800
Project Manager
Team Role:
“Program A” Manager, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education:
- BA-
- MA-
Experience:
Contact information:
Coordinators / Consultants
Adina Demessie
Team Role:
Undergraduate Scholars’ Coordinator, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education:
- BA, Public Health, University of Gondar
- MA, Public Health in Health Informatics, University of Gondar
Experience:
Mrs, Adina Demessie joined the University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Sciences in 2015, first as a lecturer and Head of the Health Informatics department and then as Undergraduate Scholars’ Coordinator for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Previously, she worked as a gender officer and coordinator of the registrar at Teda Health Science College.
Mrs. Demessie serves as the Undergraduate Scholars’ Coordinator for the Mastercard Scholars Program at the University of Gondar. She is responsible for the management of undergraduate scholars’ issues, including preparing and implementing plans, providing support services and following scholars’ performance.
Contact Information:
Email: adinabogale@gmail.com
Cell Phone: +251 918786962
TEWODROS TAREKEGN
Team Role:
Scholars Affairs Officer, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education:
BA- Economics, University of Gondar
MSc- General Public Health, University of Gondar
Experience:
Tewodros Tarekegn has served as Surgery and GYN manager for the University of Gondar Referral Teaching Hospital as well as senior project monitoring and evaluation officer in the Research & Community Service V/President office of UoG. In addition, he is the founder of the Association of Employees with disability, University of Gondar and works as Vice President of the association. He has over 10 years of experience in public health, out of which 7 years of service in senior health program management level. Tewodros has an excellent knowledge of primary health care in the context of national and international development policy and practice.
Contact Information:
Email: tedihailu@gmail.com Cell Phone + 251-918-77-46-44
Solomon Girma Yabowork (PhD)
Team Role:
Communications and Learning Coordinator, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education:
- BA- English Language and Literature, University of Gondar
- MA- English Literature, Addis Ababa University
- PhD- English Literature, University of Gondar
Experience:
Solomon Girma is an Assistant Professor of English Literature at the University of Gondar. Besides his teaching responsibilities, he provides employability skills, life skills, IELTS and German as a foreign language training. He has also authored articles published in conference proceedings and in books. His areas of research include feminist literature, music, identity, memory, and history. Currently, he works as an international relations officer at the University of Gondar in addition to his similar role at the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Contact information:
Email: solomon.girma@uog.edu.et/ fassol86g@gmail.com Tel: +251 920570919
Yifokir Tefera
Team Role
Project Management Consultant for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
- In Environmental Health Science, Jimma University
- In Occupational Health and Safety, Loughborough University, UK
Experience
Yifokire Tefera is an adjunct staff and assistant professor at the University of Gondar. He is one of the founders of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program starting from inception, development and program inauguration. He has served as vice dean of the College, dean of students, delegate vice president of Business administration at UoG, president of the National Occupational Health and Safety Professionals Association and president of Gondar Fasiledes Rotary Club. He has participated in different project activities; EFACE (Ethiopian Fighting Against Child Exploitation), E4Y (Engaged, Educated, Empowered, Ethiopian Youth) in collaboration with World Vision Ethiopia, Advanced nursing training program in collaboration with Leicester University funded by the Nuffield Foundation’s Africa Program, the Bloomberg Philanthropy Global Road Safety Initiative of Addis Ababa City, and ILO resource person for Occupational Health and Safety capacity building. He is very passionate about working on health and safety, disability, and developmental programs.
Yifokire is a Project Management Consultant to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and responsible for supporting and advising program managers on the successful implementation of project objectives.
Contact information
Email: yifoomitu@yahoo.com Tel:+251913754082
Nega Mihret
Team Role
Graduate Scholars’ Coordinator for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
- PhD Candidate in Public Health, University of Gondar
- MSc, Population Studies, Addis Ababa University
- BA, Geography and Environmental Studies, Addis Ababa University
Experience
Nega Mihret is an assistant professor of Population Studies at the University of Gondar. He is a member of the team that contributed to the development of the MasterCard Foundation Scholar Program at the University of Gondar. He has served as head of the Department of Population Studies. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses, and supervises senior essays and theses. He conducts research on Fertility, Reproductive Health, Migration, Human Trafficking, Population aging, and Population and Development nexus.
Since January 2018, Nega Mihret has served as a Graduate Scholars Coordinator for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar. He is responsible for the management of graduate scholars’ issues, including preparing and implementing plans, providing support services and following scholars’ performance
Contact information
Email: mihretn21@gmail.com Tel: 251-912080654
Solomon Mesfin
Team role:
Career Service Coordinator for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
- BSc- Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Bahir Dar University
- MSc- Manufacturing Engineering, Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa University
Experience
Solomon Mesfin is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Gondar. His teaching and research focus on areas of mechanical engineering, with a special emphasis on manufacturing, material science and engineering, thermal engineering, energy, and automation.
He served as Director of the University Industry Linkage and Technology Transfer Directorate office and as Dean of the Institute of Technology at the University of Gondar. Besides, he has contributed to the development of the research, technology transfer, and community service guidelines of the university, and he also participated in and contributed to the development of the 10-year strategic plan of the University of Gondar.
He has been involved in many collaborative research, community service, and technology transfer projects financed by various institutions, including the University of Gondar, and has published more than 12 research articles in the most reputable journals.
Contact information
Email: solomon.mesfin5@gmail.com Tel: 251- 913457871
Muluken Jegnie
Team Role
Career Service Coordinator for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
- BA, Management, Addis Ababa University
- MA, Marketing Management, University of Gondar
Experience
Muluken is the career service coordinator at the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar. In his past experiences, he has served as a team leader in wereda trade & transport office and worked as a Cooperative promotion officer in Gondar surroundings wereda Cooperative office. In addition to this, he has worked as an IGA project coordinator in Link Ethiopia. From February 01, 2017 – December 31, he was employed as a registrar officer at the University of Gondar’s Institute of Technology.
Contact information
email: mulukenjegnie@gmail.com Tel: +251 918161170
Mrs Meseret Tsegaw
Team Role
Scholar Affairs officer for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
- BA – Special Needs and Inclusive Education, Addis Ababa University
- MA- Special Needs and Inclusive Education, University of Gondar
Experience
Mrs. Tsegaw’s career is marked by fifteen years of dedicated teaching at Tsadiku Yohannis Special Needs Unit. After her tenure as a teacher, Meseret served for ten years as the coordinator of the Special Needs Unit at Tsadiku Yohannis. Further diversifying her career, Mrs. Tsegaw dedicated five years to guidance and counseling at Atse Fasil High School. In this role, she provided essential support to students, guiding them through their academic, social, and personal challenges, and helping them to build resilience and achieve their full potential. She has certificates in sign language and braille reading and writing. These qualifications have equipped her to cater to a wide range of learning needs and communication barriers encountered by her students. In 2021, she took a significant step in furthering her education and working experience by joining the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar as a Scholars Affairs Officer, providing support for scholars.
Contact information
email: meserettsegaw2013@gmail.com Tel: +251 923026214
Yigzaw Atanie
Team Role
Finnace Officer for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
Experience
Contact information
email: Tel:
Workie Ebabu
Team Role
Office Assistant for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
Experience
Contact information
email: Tel:
Besufekad Zewdu
Team Role
Driver and Logistics Assistant for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
Experience
Contact information
email: Tel:
Endihnew Marie
Team Role
Driver and Logistics Assistant for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar
Education
Experience
Contact information
email: Tel:
