FEM PhD Tefera Mengistu passed away

Dear colleagues,

Last week our FEM / PE&RC ex-PhD colleague Tefera Mengistu  passed away in a hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

While waiting for  medical results of checkups he was put in IC and there he passed away rapidly. There still is no information on what was the cause of his sudden death.

Tefera did his PhD at FEM from 2007-2011 within the NWO-FRAME integrated program. His thesis was on the ecophysiology of the frankincense tree. Since then he had various impactful positions, such as Dean at Wondo Genet School of Forestry (Hawassa University) and leading large international programs in Ethiopian government organisations, and for the Unites Nations, always on issues related to forests.  

We remember Tefera as a great colleague, enduring in the field, strong in the lab, interacting with all. During the 10 years since his PhD we maintained in contact and on several occasions I had the opportunity to meet him and his family in person in Addis. Always extremely pleasant, inviting and sharing.

 Tefera was a loving husband to his wife Asni and a great father to his three children Mahider, Kidist and Dawit. His sudden death is devastating.

 Our spirit is with his family.

Frans

 Prof. dr. Frans Bongers. Professor Tropical Forest Ecology. Forest Ecology and Forest Management (FEM), Environmental Sciences Group, Wageningen University & Research. PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Wageningen Campus, Building 100 (Lumen), Room B125. Droevendaalsesteeg 3, 6708 PB, Wageningen