AAU School of Social Work
PhD Program: 2007 Student Cohort
(Standing, left to right: Debebe Ero, Abebaw Minaye, Dr. Alice, Mindahun Gebretsdik, Dessalegn Negeri, Abreham Molla. Seated, left to right, Mesele Mengstab, Mulunesh Abebe)
PhD Student Biographical Information
Abebaw Minaye
Abebaw Minaye, MA in Educational Psychology is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and a PhD candidate at the School of Social Work, Addis Ababa University. He has 12 years of teaching experience in education and psychology, especially social psychology. He has conducted research on issues of child begging, human trafficking, child rights in Ethiopia, influences of expansion on higher education quality, and the use of rubrics to enhance student learning and satisfaction with grading. He has presented at national and international social work and psychology conferences on child rights, experiences of trafficked women, and influences of higher education expansion on quality. Abebaw has also served in various positions as: head of the Research and Publication Office of Abbiyi Addi College of Teacher Education, Chief Registrar of St Mary's College, Executive Secretary of the Ethiopian Psychologists Association (EPA) and is currently board chairperson of Abba Selamma Orphanage Center. His PhD focus is on the experience of Ethiopian women trafficking returnees from the Gulf States.
Mindahun Gebretsadik
Mindahun Gebretsadik is a PhD student in Social Work and Social Development at Addis Ababa University. He received a BA in Sociology and Social Administration in 2004, and a Masters of Social Work (MSW) in 2006 from Addis Ababa University. He conducted his master's thesis on the right to employment and discrimination against people with disabilities. He worked for one year as an expert of Collective Bargaining and Trade Union Affairs in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. Currently, he is teaching at the School of Social work at Addis Ababa University. Mindahun's interest area for his dissertation and future scholarship is on the inclusion and exclusion of persons with disabilities in development policies and practices.
Dessalegn Negeri
Dessalegn Negeri Is a Lecturer and PhD Candidate at School of Social Work At Addis Ababa University. He received a Bachelor of Art Degree is in Sociology and Social Administration, and a Masters of Social Work at Addis Ababa University in 2006. He has five years of teaching experience and three years of working with different public and private agencies as a social development planning expert and community service coordinator in the areas of children and youth development. He developed the curriculum for the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Jimma University and promoted social work as joint degree in other public universities. His research interests are curriculum development, community based child welfare policy and practice, local adoption, community culture as asset for development, entrepreneurship and youth development. Dessalegn was the Director of Field Education for one year and contributed in the revision of MSW practice manual. Currently, he serves as a Coordinator of the Integrated Community Development and Child Welfare Training Project, with Professor Alice Butterfield.
Mesele Mengsteab
Mesele Mengsteab is a Lecturer in the School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University, and a doctoral student in Social Work and Social Development. He received a Bachelor Degree in Theatrical Arts and MSW from Addis Ababa University. His future scholarship focuses on ecosystem and culture. Mesele worked at Addis Ababa University Cultural Centre as an artistic coordinator. He worked with students to establish arts, music, and literature clubs and associations so students could have the chance to develop and promote their indigenous cultures, languages and arts and develop self-esteem, confidence, mutual respect, and solidarity. He also organized weekly panel discussions, intellectual discourses, movie shows, and music and literature evening programs for the university community. His work included initiating the participation of students in the Cultural Centre, planning programs, and mentoring students in presenting creative works that benefit the university community, and avoid gender sensitive, ethnic biased and xenophobic issues.
Mulunesh Abebe
Mulunesh Abebe is a PhD candidate in Social Work and Social Development at Addis Ababa University. She received her first and second degrees in Educational Psychology and Developmental Psychology from Addis Ababa University in 2001 and 2005, respectively. Mulunesh has been working as a gender activist and head of Gender Offices at Gondar and Bahir Dar Universities. She works closely with the Amhara Region Women's Affairs Bureau and Bureau of Social and Labor Affairs in conducting research and providing training on gender, gender-based violence, harmful traditional practices, child rearing and other related issues. She taught for two years at Gondar University and currently teaches at Bahir Dar University. Her research area for her dissertation and future scholarship is looking at intimate partner violence from the resilience perspective.