Shimelash Molla Kassaye | Environmental Science | Editorial Board Member

Published on by Research Awards

Dr. Shimelash Molla Kassaye | Environmental Science | Editorial Board Member

Mattu University | Ethiopia

Dr. Shimelash Molla Kassaye is a highly dedicated scholar and researcher specializing in Hydrology and Water Resources Management, with an extensive academic background and a strong record of scientific contributions in the field of environmental and water sciences. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Mattu University, Ethiopia, where he continues to advance research and teaching in hydrology, climate change, and watershed management. His professional journey reflects consistent excellence and commitment to solving pressing environmental and water-related challenges affecting the African continent. Dr. Kassaye earned his Ph.D. in Water Management (Hydrology and Water Resources Management) from the African Centre of Excellence in Water Management (ACEWM) at Addis Ababa University in 2024. His doctoral research, titled “Evaluating the Hydrological Dynamics under Land Use/Cover and Climate Change in the Baro River Basin, Ethiopia,” focused on understanding the complex interactions between climate variability, land use change, and hydrological responses in one of Ethiopia’s key river basins. His research offers vital insights into sustainable water resource management and policy planning under changing climatic conditions. Prior to his Ph.D., he obtained an M.Sc. in Hydraulic Engineering from Jimma University in 2017 with an outstanding CGPA of 3.88/4.00 and a B.Sc. in Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering from Arbaminch University in 2011. His professional experience spans over a decade of teaching, research, and academic service. Before assuming his current position, Dr. Kassaye worked as a Researcher and Lecturer at Mattu University (2014–2021) and as a Graduate Assistant at Arbaminch University (2012–2014). Through these roles, he has contributed significantly to the training of young engineers and scientists, supervising research projects, and integrating innovative technologies into water resource education and management practices. Dr. Kassaye’s research expertise covers a broad range of topics, including hydrologic modeling, climate change and variability, drought monitoring and prediction, integrated watershed management, natural resource management, and hydrometeorological risk assessment. His multidisciplinary approach, combining remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and hydrological modeling, enables comprehensive assessments of environmental systems under stress from both natural and anthropogenic factors. He has published multiple peer-reviewed scientific papers in high-impact international journals such as Water, Environmental Earth Sciences, Environmental Systems Research, and Earth. His publications have explored critical themes such as the sensitivity of meteorological dynamics to catchment variability, the integrated impact of land use and topography on hydrological extremes, and the quantification of climate change effects on streamflow dynamics. His academic excellence, combined with practical expertise and a strong publication record, positions him as a leading early-career researcher contributing to Ethiopia’s and Africa’s sustainable water resource management efforts. His dedication to advancing hydrological science underscores his commitment to building climate resilience and fostering sustainable development in vulnerable regions.

Profiles: Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Kassaye, S. M., Tadesse, T., Tegegne, G., & Hordofa, A. T. (2024). Quantifying the climate change impacts on the magnitude and timing of hydrological extremes in the Baro River Basin, Ethiopia. Environmental Systems Research, 13(1), 1–15.

Belay, H., Melesse, A. M., Tegegne, G., & Kassaye, S. M. (2025). Flood inundation mapping using the Google Earth Engine and HEC-RAS under land use/land cover and climate changes in the Gumara Watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Remote Sensing, 17(7), 1283.

Malede, D. A., Elumalai, V., Andualem, T. G., Mekonnen, Y. G., Yibeltal, M., Kassaye, S. M., & others. (2025). Understanding flood and drought extremes under a changing climate in the Blue Nile Basin: A review. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 100638.

Kassaye, S. M., Tadesse, T., & Tegegne, G. (2024). Quantifying the climate change impacts on the magnitude and timing of hydrological extremes in the Baro River Basin, Ethiopia. Environmental Systems Research, 13(2).

Kassaye, S. M., Tadesse, T., Tegegne, G., Hordofa, A. T., & Malede, D. A. (2024). Relative and combined impacts of climate and land use/cover change for the streamflow variability in the Baro River Basin (BRB). Earth, 5(2), 149–168.

Kassaye, S. M., Tadesse, T., Tegegne, G., & Tadesse, K. E. (2022). The sensitivity of meteorological dynamics to the variability in catchment characteristics. Water, 14(22), 3776.

Kassaye, S. M., Tadesse, T., Tegegne, G., & Hordofa, A. T. (2024). Integrated impact of land use/cover and topography on hydrological extremes in the Baro River Basin. Environmental Earth Sciences, 83(2), 49.

Kassaye, S. M., Ebissa, T. N., Gutema, B. G., & Gurmesa, G. T. (2020). Site selection and design of mini hydropower plant for rural electrification in Keber River. American Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, 9(5), 82–96.

Ebissa, T. N., Kassaye, S. M., & Malede, D. A. (2024). Hydrological response to climate change in Baro Basin, Ethiopia, using representative concentration pathway scenarios. Environmental Systems Research, 13(1), 42.

Waheed, A., Kousar, S., Khan, M. I., & Fischer, T. B. (2025). Environmental and Sustainability Indicators. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators.

Richard Beach | Ecology | Best Researcher Award | 13648

Published on by Research Awards

Prof. Richard Beach | Ecology | Best Researcher Award 

University of Minnesota | United States

Professor Richard W. Beach is an internationally respected scholar and Professor Emeritus of English Education at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. With a distinguished academic career spanning over five decades, Dr. Beach has been a pioneering voice in the fields of literacy education, literature pedagogy, digital media in education, and adolescent identity in English classrooms. He holds a B.A. in English from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Education from Trinity College, and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Beach is the author, co-author, or editor of 30 major academic books, most published by leading educational publishers such as Routledge, Teachers College Press, and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). His body of work reflects a deep and sustained commitment to rethinking how literature, writing, media, and critical inquiry are taught in secondary and post-secondary classrooms. His books such as Teaching Literature to Adolescents, Teaching Climate Change to Adolescents, and Teaching to Exceed the English Language Arts Standards have become foundational texts in English teacher education and are widely used in teacher training programs internationally. His work has garnered broad academic recognition, with an estimated 4,000+ citations and an h-index of 30+, reflecting both the influence and reach of his scholarship across educational research domains. He has collaborated with prominent scholars and co-edited multidisciplinary volumes like Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Literacy Research, and continues to shape the discourse around literacy instruction, digital literacies, and critical pedagogy in the ELA classroom. Dr. Beach’s research is characterized by its responsiveness to changing cultural, technological, and ecological landscapes. He has advocated for student-centered approaches to learning that honor learners’ identities, social worlds, and real-world concerns. His recent work on teaching climate change and fostering critical digital literacies demonstrates a progressive and action-oriented vision for education.

Profiles:  Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Beach, R. (1993). A teacher’s introduction to reader-response theories. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Taylor, B. M., & Beach, R. W. (1984). The effects of text structure instruction on middle-grade students’ comprehension and production of expository text. Reading Research Quarterly, 19(2), 134–146.

Purves, A. C., & Beach, R. (1972). Literature and the reader: Research in response to literature, reading interests, and the teaching of literature. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Newell, G. E., Beach, R., Smith, J., & VanDerHeide, J. (2011). Teaching and learning argumentative reading and writing: A review of research. Reading Research Quarterly, 46(3), 273–304.

Appleman, D., Beach, R., Simon, R., & Fecho, B. (2016). Teaching literature to adolescents (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Galda, L., & Beach, R. (2001). Response to literature as a cultural activity. Reading Research Quarterly, 36(1), 64–73.

Beach, R. (1976). Self-evaluation strategies of extensive revisers and nonrevisers. College Composition and Communication, 27(2), 160–164.