Sebsebe Demissew

Education Demissew was educated at Addis Ababa University where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1977 followed by a Master of Science degree in Botany 1980.

Career and research Demissew served as the Leader of the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea between 1996 until its completion in 2009 in collaboration with Inga Hedberg in which 6000 species with 10% endemic species are documented; the project involved 91 scientists from 17 countries. It is one of the few completed Floras in Africa. His research provides training for postgraduate students, consistent with his view that African specialists are needed for research and curation of their own country's plant resources.

Demissew has authored and co-authored books and articles in peer reviewed journals He is a member of national and international professional organizations and has served as Chair of the Biological Society of Ethiopia, Secretary General of the Association for the Taxonomic Study of the Flora Tropical Africa (AETFAT) in addition to being a Council member of International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT).

He was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 2018 for "outstanding contributions to research and innovation".

In 2021 Demissew was awarded the Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, USA, for his life's work in conserving and recording the very diverse Ethiopian flora with many endemic species, and leadership of the Ethiopian Flora Project and the National Herbarium. This award is made annually to a scientist who has made a very significant contribution to advancing the field of tropical botany.