Adey Desta Welcomed as Part of 2015-2016 UMAPS Scholars

African Studies Center Welcomes the 2015-16 UMAPS Scholars

Ann Arbor, MI—The African Studies Center (ASC), a member of the International Institute at the University of Michigan, is pleased to welcome the University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS) for 2015-16.

This year’s cohort represents a broad range of academic interests and disciplines, including medicine, sociology, history, biotechnology, psychology, literature, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, population studies, and law. Each scholar will be in residency for a four- to six-month period and will work closely with U-M faculty while pursuing individual writing and research projects.

UMAPS is designed to enhance collaboration between early-career faculty from Africa with students and faculty at the University of Michigan. The program supports faculty development and capacity building at African universities. African scholars are brought to campus for four to six months and given access to library and research materials that can assist them with research projects, academic degrees, publications, grant proposals, or other relevant activity. While in residency, the scholars are paired with a U-M faculty member for mentorship or collaboration on projects that will help advance their careers. These activities allow the university to build and strengthen lasting scholarly relationships with visiting scholars and their home institutions. Though previously only open to faculty in Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, and Uganda, the UMAPS program this year allowed U-M faculty to nominate scholars from any country in Africa. Hence this is the most geographically diverse cohort to date with scholars also representing universities in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Adey Desta, biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia: “Assessment of Pathogenic Microorganisms that Proliferate during the Production of a Urine Derived Fertilizer: Struvite.” Her mentors are Nancy Love, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Krista Wigginton, Borchardt and Glysson Water Treatment Faculty Scholar in civil and environmental engineering.