Page 10 - Science in Africa

Doctor Fisseha Mekuria

octor Fisseha Mekuria has
MSc and PhD degrees from
Linköping University in
Sweden in the fields of wireless
communications and signal
Dprocessing.
He has more than 24 years’ academic and
industrial research experience in information and
communication technology (ICT) and wireless
communications. He held several senior
researcher positions during the 10 years he
worked at the Ericsson Mobile Communications
research and development (R&D) lab in Sweden.
During that time, he developed more than 12 US
and European technology patents in the areas of
signal processing, wireless computing and
networking for next-generation communication
systems.
He has been recipient of several research
grants and IEEE nominations from the mobile
and ICT industry for research and academic
excellence in the mobile computing field.
He has also worked as professor at several
universities in Africa, in wireless computing and
networking for ICT systems. He developed course
curriculums for mobile applications software WIZARD
development and R&D lab setups in collaboration
with Nokia Siemens Networks, and worked on
the development of a next-generation network
laboratory in collaboration with Huawei Network of wireless tech
Technologies.
His research interests are next-generation
cognitive wireless radio networks, dynamic
spectrum sharing, green network technologies,
software-defined wireless networks, base-station and leadership of the research team Recently he led and co-authored a
and antenna systems and services. He is also responsible for the first African CSIR UK patent on an intelligent
passionate about and leads the research at the National Geolocation Spectrum channel allocation algorithm, to
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Database (GLSD), covering all protect the intellectual property
(CSIR) on 5G and affordable wireless broadband South African regions. and industrialisation potential of
networks for health, education and agriculture The innovative GLSD system the GLSD technology.
applications with relevance for emerging has been nominated twice by the He is also the recipient of the
economies of Africa. National Science and Technology prestigious Google Research Award
Doctor Mekuria has also been awarded a CSIR Forum and enables broadband 2009/10 in mobile computing, and a
Research Excellence Award and a strategic wireless networks based on dynamic US-National Science Foundation
research and innovation leadership diploma by spectrum access to provide affordable research grant in collaboration with the
the CSIR for his contribution in the development broadband internet to underserved areas. University of California, Santa Barbara in the US.
Doctor Regina Folorunsho

Sustainable environmental management

Doctor Regina Folorunsho is an assistant survey cruises for several oil companies Doctor Folorunsho has published
director in the marine geology/geophysics and governmental and international more than 35 papers in coastal and
department of the Nigerian Institute for bodies. She has been active in the marine processes.
Oceanography and Marine Research. International Council for Science Some of her research work has
She is a marine scientist with broad (ICSU) programmes in Africa focussed on climate change and
experience in coastal processes, hazards and and is a member of the ICSU cities; a guide on adaptation
disasters, especially in west Africa. regional office for the Africa options for local decision-makers;
Her areas of expertise include climate change Science Plan Steering sustainable environmental
and sea-level rise. Committee. management in Nigeria; and the
She has more than 25 years’ experience in She is a past member of morphodynamics and features of
coastal erosion dynamics and metocean management of the UN Joint littoral cell circulation observed from
processes and has taken part in several coastal Commission on Oceanography and aerial photographs along a section of the
studies, environmental impact assessments and Marine Meteorology. strand coast east of the Niger Delta in Nigeria.
10 SCIENCE IN AFRICA