Teshome Lemma Yami

Dr. Teshome Lemma Yami was born on October 04, 1970, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from his mother Gorfinesh Wondimagegn Woldemariam and his father Lemma Yami Biratu. Dr. Teshome grew up in Sululta and completed high school at Medhanialem Comprehensive High School in Addis Ababa. He was dedicated to bringing safe and clean water to the rural parts of Ethiopia. Thus, his study and work mainly focused on that. He obtained his BSc in Irrigation Engineering from Arba Minch University in 1992. After working at Oromia Regional Water Resources Bureau for more than a decade, he moved to The Netherlands for his MSc at UNESCO-IHE. Upon completing his Masters, he worked as a WaSH program coordinator for CARE Ethiopia. In 2012, he moved to the USA for a PhD study in Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at The University of Oklahoma. During and after his PhD tenure, he has served as Graduate Research Assistant, Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Assistant Director of HyDROS Laboratory at the School of Civil and Environmental Science. He has also served as the president of Ethiopian Geophysical Union International (ETHUI). In his PhD research, he developed media to remove major environmental contaminants, conducted research on nutrients recovery from water and wastewater and runoff water harvesting technology. During his academic career he has published more than 10 peer-reviewed journals and presented his work on different conferences and workshops in the United States and across the globe. Teshome is a dedicated Christian. He loved listening to gospel songs while taking evening strolls around the beautiful OU campus. He always greeted people with a smile, a warm hug and keen to help others in need. He is a diehard fan of the Sooners and enjoyed watching basketball and soccer in his free time. Since October of 2021, he has been sick and unable to fully continue his duty at the University. He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. While he was struggling with his illness, he was hospitalized due to respiratory illness which resulted in complications and as a result he passed away on November 3, 2022. We truly believe our heavenly father orchestrated his final days and gave his kids and family extra time to love on him and pray with him. He is survived by his wife and four children. Teshome is preceded in death by his parents, Lemma Biratu; Gorfinesh Woldemariam and his sister Etenu Lemma.