Dr. Mesfin Mekonnen

Education

• Ph.D., Water Engineering and Water Management, University of Twente, The Netherlands, 2011
• M.S, Environmental Science and Technology, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Infrastructure, Water and Environment, The Netherlands, 2005
• B.A., Economics, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, 2003
• M.S, Renewable Energy, University of Oldenburg, Germany, 1994
• B.S., Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, 1989

Biography

Dr. Mesfin Mekonnen is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama.

His research focuses on understanding the interactions between human and natural systems in determining the sustainability of freshwater resources. His specialties include water footprint assessment, water scarcity assessment, water management, crop water use modeling, spatial modeling and water for energy.

Prior to joining the University of Alabama, Mekonnen worked as a research assistant professor and postdoctoral associate at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, University of Nebraska, from 2016 to 2020. From 2011 to 2016, we worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Twente in the Netherlands where he gained research experience in water footprint assessment, modeling water use in crop and animal production, water productivity assessment, and assessing global water scarcity.

Mekonnen has published more than 50 highly cited peer-reviewed articles. He is a member of the editorial board of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems journal.

Honors and Awards

• Joint Japan/World Bank graduate scholarship, UNESCO-IHE, The Netherlands, 2003-2005
• Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft e.V. advanced training scholarship, German Wind Energy Institute (DEWI), Germany, 2000
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) graduate scholarship, University of Oldenburg, Germany, 1993-1994