Ayenachew A. Desta
Lecturer & Researcher
Department of Geology | School of Earth Sciences
Bahir Dar University | Ethiopia
Graduate Student and Research Assistant
Department of Geosciences
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas, USA
I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. I graduated with honors from Bahir Dar University in 2014, earning a bachelor's degree in geology. Following my graduation, I was employed as an assistant lecturer. In 2018, I received a government scholarship to pursue my graduate studies at Addis Ababa University, where I completed a master's degree in geological sciences, specializing in petrology.
I am a lecturer at Bahir Dar University's School of Earth Sciences, where I teach and contribute to national geological research and mineral exploration projects. I have been able to present parts of my research at the annual Earth Science conferences.
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In addition to my work in Ethiopia, I am now pursuing a master's degree at Texas Tech University (TTU), where my research focuses on soil potassium and clay mineral complexes of USA Cotton Belt agricultural soils. This project is vital for understanding soil fertility and nutrient availability, which has implications for agriculture and environmental sustainability.
Research Interests
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Clay mineralogy: types, conditions, and factors of alteration of diverse rocks
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Soil mineralogy and clay mineral studies
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Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology: Petrogenesis, tectonic and magmatic emplacement of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs), and deformational history of metamorphic rocks.
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Mineralogy and Crystallography: Mineralization and crystallization studies of earth materials (diverse types of minerals, rocks, and sediments).
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Geosite's inventory for the sustainable development of Geoheritage and Geotourism.
Education
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09/2024 – 2026
MSc. in Geosciences
Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
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10/2016 – 07/2018
MSc. in Petrology
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
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09/2010 – 07/2014
BSc. in Geology
Bahir Dar Uiversity, Ethiopia
Awards, Scholarships and Grants
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UNESCO Grant 06/2021 – 12/2021
Limestone Exploration around Tana Basin for Heritage Conservation
Grant no: IAR 3172: 2021
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Bahir Dar University Research Grant 05/2019 – 12/2020
Annual research grant for fieldwork and laboratory analysis
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Ethiopian Government Education Scholarship Award 10/2016 – 07/2018
Full scholarship for graduate study and thesis writing
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TTU, full scolarship award for Msc. study 10/2024 - 2026
Full scholarship for graduate study