Tesfaye Kidane
Professor
0204.2 Old Main
4831 Cass Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
Website(s)
Department
Tesfaye Kidane
Dr. Tesfaye Kidane joined the Department of Environmental Science and Geology, Wayne State University, Detroit (Michigan), as a tenured professor. He earned his Ph.D. in Internal Geophysics from the “Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris”, France.
He then returned to Addis Ababa University and taught various geology courses at the School of Earth Sciences (formerly Department of Geology), both for undergraduate and graduate levels. All the while he had multiple post-doctoral experiences: he had his first Postdoctoral experience at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP), University of Hawaii at Manoa; a two years postdoctoral research stay as a JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences) fellow at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, of Kobe University, Japan; Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Fellowship for experienced researchers at the Department of Geophysics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany; and a African Fulbright Scholar at the Institute of Rock Magnetism, University of Minnesota.
He worked as a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto University. Ensuing the 17 years of teaching at AAU, Dr. Tesfaye had joined the Discipline of Geological Sciences, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa as a full professor and later served as the academic leader of the cluster. He served as the member of Honors and Recognition Committee of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for two terms until July 2023.
Currently serving as a member of the AGU publication committee and as an associate editor of Tectonics (AGU) journal since 2017. He published more than 50 papers in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Kidane is married and has three children.
Research interest(s)/area of expertise
- Structural Geology
- Tectonics
- Paleomagnetism
Research
Dr. Kidane’s research revolves around the applications of paleomagnetism to regional tectonics, paleogeography, geochronology and paleoenvironment reconstructions. It is both field and laboratory based, and he uses paleomagnetism and rock-magnetism to unravel rock records and make regional geological synthesis. He is studying the tectonic evolution of the Afar Depression and East African rift. His research also includes Permian Paleogeographic reconstructions of Gondwana and Pangea. Since he joined the University of KwaZulu Natal he researches included the paleomagnetism of the Karoo LIP in South African regions.
Education
- Ph.D., Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, France, 1999
- M.Sc. in Structural Geology - Addis Ababa University (AAU), 1993
- B.Sc. in Geology (AAU), 1989
Awards and grants
- African Fulbright Scholar, IRM, University of Minnesota, USA, 2012 - 2013
- Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 2012 – 13
- JSPS fellow, Earth Science, Kobe University, Japan, 2005 – 08
- PI - 178,000 USD (3.2 million Rand) – NRF – National Equipment Program, 2023
- Co-PI - 54,880USD (49,000 EURO) - ADDON – ICDP workshop proposal, 2020
- PI - 3,450USD (50,000 ZAR) – NRF GRANT for 2020 - Knowledge, Interchange and Collaboration Program (KIC)
- PI - 3,282USD (772, 200 ZAR) - NRF GRANT for 2020: Competitive Program for Rated Researchers
- PI - 103,600USD –1,400,000 ZAR – 2018 Paleomagnetic Equipment Grant
- PI - 1,875USD (25,000 ZAR) – NRF GRANR for 2017 Knowledge, Interchange and Collaboration Program (KIC)
- Co-PI 883, 202 USD (865,884 Swiss Francs); Sedimentary Record of the Northern Afar (SERENA) – project
- 32,500USD (25,000 Euro) – 2013, Alexander von Humboldt for Equipment subsidy
- Co-PI (Kenya-Ethiopia-and Tanzania) 330,000USD, 2015; Geo Power Africa, PEER Research, National Academy of Sciences, USA
- PI - 20,000USD –Joint Oceanographic Institutions for post-cruise research, 2002