Department/Unit: Bahir Dar Institute of Technology, Chemical Engineering
PhD Institution: Rovira i Virgili University
PhD dissertation title: Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation of Phenol over Active Carbon in Fixed Bed Reactor: Steady State and Periodic Operation
Current research interests and projects: Process intensification and process modeling; Water and wastewater engineering (Advanced oxidation process); Bioenergy process intensification (Biochemical and thermochemical biomass conversion); Advanced catalytic reactor systems applied to waste degradation and energy conversion; Hydrodynamics of three phase catalytic reactors and structural catalyst; Microreactors; Dynamic operation of multi-phase reactors for process intensification strategy; Ultrasound and microwave-assisted process intensification for bioenergy conversion; CFD modeling of Mass and heat transfer process
Selected publication 1: N. Habtu, J. Font , A. Fortuny, C. Bengoa, A. Fabregat, P. Haure, A. Ayude, F. Stuber; Heat Transfer in Trickle Bed Column with Constant and Modulated Feed Temperature: Experiments and Modeling, Chemical Engineering Science; 66 (14), Page 3358-3368
Selected publication 2: Ababay Ketema Worku, Delele Worku Ayele, Nigus Gabbiye Habtu*, Mehary Dagnew; 2022; AmbawEngineering nanostructured Ag doped α-MnO2 electrocatalyst for highly efficient rechargeable zinc-air batteries; Heliyon;
Selected publication 3: Tesfaye Alamirew Dessie, Wei-Hsiang Huang, Dessalew Berihun Adam, Yohannes Ayele Awoke, Chia-Hsin Wang, Jeng-Lung Chen, Chih-Wen Pao, Nigus Gabbiye Habtu*, Meng-Che Tsai*, Wei-Nien Su*, and Bing Joe Hwang*; 2022; Efficient H2 Evolution Coupled with Anodic Oxidation of Iodide over Defective Carbon-Supported Single-Atom Mo‑N4 Electrocatalyst; Nano Letters
Selected publication 4: Yalew Woldeamanuel Sitotaw, Nigus G. Habtu, Abaynesh Yihdego Gebreyohannes, Tom Van Gerven; 2022; Effect of alkaline combined with ultrasonic pretreatment to enhance enzymatic saccharification of sugar cane bagasse and Enset fiber (Ensete Ventricosum); Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
Selected publication 5: Fitfety M. Teshager, Nigus G. Habtu, Kibret Mequanint; 2022; A systematic study of cellulose-reactive anionic dye removal using a sustainable bioadsorbent; Chemosphere
Selected publication 6: Befkadu Ayalkie Gizaw, Nigus Gabbiye Habtu; 2022; Catalytic wet air oxidation of azo dye (Reactive red 2) over copper oxide loaded activated carbon catalyst; Journal of Water Process Engineering
Selected publication 7: Tsegahun Mekonnen Zewdie, Nigus Gabbiye Habtu, Abhishek Dutta Bart Van der Bruggen; 2022; Flat sheet metakaolin ceramic membrane for water desalination via direct contact membrane distillation; Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination; 12(1)
Selected publication 8: Yalew Woldeamanuel Sitotaw, Nigus G. Habtu, Tom Van Gerven; 2022; Intensification of low concentration alkaline pretreatment with planetary ball milling for effcient enzymatic saccharifcation of enset fiber (Ensete ventricosum); Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery;12(1)
Selected publication 9: Agegnehu Alemu, Nigus Gabbiye and Brook Lemm; 2021; Evaluation of Tannery Wastewater Treatment by Integrating Vesicular Basalt with Local Plant Species in a Constructed Wetland System; Frontiers in Environmental Science; Volume 9
Selected publication 10: Jemal Beshir Belay, Nigus Gabbiye Habtu*, Venkata Ramayya Ancha, Ali Seid Hussen; 2021; Alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment of cladodes of cactus (opuntiaficus-indica) for biogas production; Heliyon;(7): page 1 -7
Capstone assignment title: Doctoral Education at Bahir Dar University: Challenges and Future Perspectives
Capstone assignment abstract: Graduate level education in general was started in 1978 at Addis Ababa University with selected academic programs. It is after two decades in 2000, other public universities joined and launched graduate-level education which significantly increase postgraduate enrolment across the country. This is due to higher education reform which is accompanied by a massive expansion of new universities and undergraduate enrolment which required trained human power at least at second- and terminal-degree level. Nevertheless, the rapid doctoral enrolment is hammered by the low student completion rate reported as low as 20% in most Ethiopian Universities. Several initiatives have been introduced at governmental and university level to improve doctoral student completion rate and increase the number of doctoral staff in the higher education sector. With this regard Bahir Dar University initiates own PhD package to train over 120 doctoral staff in engineering which is the most doctoral staff deficient discipline at Bahir Dar University and the country at large. The university has developed PhD guideline to effectively administrated doctoral education and PhD packages that help doctoral student to smoothly progress their dissertation work. It was importantly observed that inadequate funds available for doctoral research and the provision of quality supervision remain the main challenges that need to pay attention by the university management and government. Nevertheless, further in-depth quantitative research is required to explicitly explain the causes and challenges faced by doctoral students while doing their doctoral education at Bahir Dar University.
