President Biden Presents Prestigious Award to Ethiopian Scientist Gebisa Ejeta
Ethiopian scientist Gebisa Ejeta recognized with highest US scientific honor by President Biden, joining an elite group Awarded for his outstanding contributions in his field, Ejeta's achievements have earned him prestigious recognition at the White House ceremony
Ethiopian Gebisa Ejeta recently received recognition from US President Joe Biden at a prestigious event held at the White House. Ejeta, along with eight other individuals, was presented with the National Medal of Science, the most esteemed scientific accolade in the country.
Hailing from rural west-central Ethiopia, Ejeta has devoted his entire career to the field of food science, particularly focusing on the study of sorghum, an ancient grain that is free from gluten. His efforts in developing drought- and parasite-resistant hybrid strains of sorghum earned him the World Food Prize in 2009, and he was also bestowed with Ethiopias National Hero Award in the same year.
"Gebisa Ejeta, a geneticist of immense influence, has been hailed as one of the most significant figures in his field worldwide," stated Mung Chiang, president of Purdue University in the United States. Since 1984, Ejeta has contributed extensively as a researcher and faculty member at Purdue University. Chiang further expressed the university's delight in commemorating another esteemed and well-deserved recognition bestowed upon Gebisa by the president of the United States, as conveyed through a press release.
Gebisa Ejeta, distinguished professor of plant breeding & genetics and international agriculture at Purdue University, has dedicated his life's work to studying sorghum.
Purdue University Agricultural Communications photo/Thomas Campbell
Around 500 million individuals in Africa and Asia depend on sorghum as a primary food source. Additionally, sorghum is extensively utilized as livestock feed globally, including in the US. Ejeta's research primarily concentrates on key attributes of the grain, as highlighted by Purdue. These attributes encompass nutritional quality, resilience in the face of drought and cold, and resistance to pests, diseases, and Striga, a detrimental parasitic plant.
Angélique Kidjo has become the third artist from Africa to receive this prestigious music prize.
President Biden, while presenting the medal to Ejeta, highlighted his exceptional contribution in enhancing food security for millions through the development of drought and parasite-resistant sorghum strains. The president also acknowledged Ejeta's relentless advocacy for science, policy, and institutions as crucial drivers of economic development, benefitting farmers and emboldening nations.
