The Ethiopian Academy of Sciences conveys a congratulatory message to Professor Sebsibe Demisew, one of its founding fellows, for receiving the 2022 Linnean Medal for outstanding work in the natural sciences.
The Linnean Medal is awarded annually by the Linnean Society of London alternately to one or two biologists (in any field) as an expression of the Society’s esteem and appreciation for service to science. Any biologist, irrespective of nationality, who is not at the time a member of the Council, is eligible to receive the Medal, which is presented at the annual Anniversary Meeting by the President.
The Society described Professor Sebsibe Demisew as one of the most powerful voices for biodiversity conservation today. It also acknowledged his leadership on the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services that brought a strong voice for the science of natural history to global policy-making.
Professor Sebsibe’s work has at its heart the improvement of biodiversity knowledge for the empowerment of the people of the global South. He has worked for over three decades on the documentation of the plant resources (both wild and cultivated) of Ethiopia and Eritrea including the traditional knowledge on the use of plants by indigenous communities. His science has gone beyond taxonomy to encompass the study of Ethiopia’s vegetation, including analyses of the effects of climate change on this unique flora.
Previous awards received by Professor Sebsibe include the José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany and the Prestigious Kew International Medal.
https://www.linnean.org/the-society/medals-awards-prizes-grants/the-linnean-medal