Dr. Nigist Asfaw Receives Prize for Developing Green Chemistry in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa - December 27, 2011

Dr. Nigist Asfaw Receives Prize for Developing Green Chemistry in Ethiopia

Dr. Nigist Asfaw from Addis Ababa University is one of three recipients of the 2011 Distinguished Woman in Chemistry prize as part of the Pan Africa Chemistry Network/ Royal Society of Chemistry (PACN/RSC) International Year of Chemistry Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Marie Curie’s Nobel Award in Chemistry. The Distinguished Women were honored at a special ceremony during the 1st PACN Congress on Agricultural Productivity which was held from November 21-23, 2011 at the Accra International Convention Centre in Accra, Ghana.

Dr. Asfaw was recognized for her achievements in developing green chemistry in Ethiopia. She is a Natural Product Chemist and has served the industry in different capacities as a researcher; head of research & quality control department and as acting manager before joining the Department of Chemistry of Addis Ababa University in 2002. She has over 20 publications in the area of essential oils and green chemistry and co-authored a book entitled “Aromatic Plants of Ethiopia” with her husband Prof. Sebsebe Demissew. She has been a Special Lecturer (2010-2012) in the School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, UK and has been nominated for the 2011 Keiser Distinguished Lecturer in Life Sciences at Ohio Northern University, USA.

Professor Motaza Khater from Cairo University, Egypt and Professor Tebello Nyokong from Rhodes University, South Africa, also received the prize alongside Dr. Asfaw.