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| President Obama has named Ethiopian American Physicist Solomon Bililign as one of the nation's "Outstanding Science, Math, and Engineering Mentors." He will receive his award at a White House ceremony later this year. (Photo credit: Courtesy photo of Solomon Bililign and official White House |
Tadias Magazine
WASHINGTON, DC (TADIAS) – When Physicist Solomon Bililign
was a young teacher imprisoned in Ethiopia during the “Red Terror” era, he
never imagined that he would one day receive a Presidential Award in the United
States.
Now a professor at North Carolina Agricultural &
Technical State University, Dr. Bililign is one of nine individuals whom
President Obama this week named recipients of the Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. The honorees
will receive their awards at a White House ceremony later this year. The award
recognizes the role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal
development of students studying science and engineering. According to the
White House, candidates are nominated by colleagues, administrators, and
students at their home institutions.
“Through their commitment to education and innovation, these
individuals are playing a crucial role in the development of our 21st century
workforce,” President Obama said. “Our nation owes them a debt of gratitude for
helping ensure that America remains the global leader in science and
engineering for years to come.”
“I am humbled by the honor,” Dr. Bililign said in an
interview with Tadias Magazine following the announcement. “I am just one of thousands
of mentors who happened to be nominated.” He added: I am sure there a lot more
deserving mentors. The recognition would motivate me to do more.”
Dr. Bililign said that success in science, engineering or
math is not as glamorous as success in performing arts or sports in the U.S.,
but the economic competitiveness of the nation, depends on a solid foundation
in the sciences. “Young people need to be encouraged, pushed, persuaded to do
it,” he said. “Not for the money or fame but for the love of discovery and
innovation. I believe every one has a gift, and a mentor’s role is to identify
the gift and nurture it.”
Dr. Bililign was born in Dessie, Ethiopia. He left the
country in 1987 to pursue a PhD in Physics at the University of Iowa. “Both my
parents were teachers,” he said. “They are actually the first graduates of the
Debre Berhan Teachers Training program then run by the US Point Four program.”
He continued: “Their first assignment was in Mekele, Northern Ethiopia where
they started school under a tree by collecting shepherds from the field… that
modest start grew into a big elementary school where my father served as a
Principal for over 10 years and my mother taught home economics, until they
transferred to Dessie. I did all my school grades one through eleven at Atse
Yohannes Elementary and Secondary School.”
Dr. Bililign said he followed in his parents footsteps to be
trained as a high school teacher and joined the Prince Bede Mariam Laboratory
School in grade eleven. “ I graduated as a physics teacher from Addis Ababa
University (AAU), but ended up as a graduate assistant at AAU and taught there
as a lecturer for several years,” he said.
But Dr. Bililign’s life-journey has not always been easy. He
was imprisoned and tortured during the “Red Terror” era. His father died in a
car accident on his way to visit his son in prison.
“While no one had to go through [what I went through], I
think I have turned that negative and hard experience to my advantage, where I
spend most of my time teaching young prisoners during the day and prison guards
during the night, trying to give hope in a seemingly hopeless situation, and
keeping myself busy and overcoming negative feelings and bitterness,” he said.
“The experience also gave me time to reflect on my life and see the bigger
picture in life.”
And what is his advise to a new generation of aspiring
scientists? “For the young people who are intimidated by the hard work needed
in science, math and engineering, I say nothing in life is easy, it is all
about deciding to do it with passion. Every thing will give up its secrets if
you love it enough,” he said. President Obama has named Ethiopian American
Physicist Solomon Bililign as one of the nation's "Outstanding Science,
Math, and Engineering Mentors." He will receive his award at a White House
ceremony later this year. (Photo credit: Courtesy photo of Solomon Bililign and
official White House photo by Pete Souza)"
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Thursday, November 17, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC (TADIAS) – When Physicist Solomon Bililign
was a young teacher imprisoned in Ethiopia during the “Red Terror” era, he
never imagined that he would one day receive a Presidential Award in the United
States.
Now a professor at North Carolina Agricultural &
Technical State University, Dr. Bililign is one of nine individuals whom
President Obama this week named recipients of the Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. The honorees
will receive their awards at a White House ceremony later this year. The award
recognizes the role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal
development of students studying science and engineering. According to the
White House, candidates are nominated by colleagues, administrators, and
students at their home institutions.
“Through their commitment to education and innovation, these
individuals are playing a crucial role in the development of our 21st century
workforce,” President Obama said. “Our nation owes them a debt of gratitude for
helping ensure that America remains the global leader in science and
engineering for years to come.”
“I am humbled by the honor,” Dr. Bililign said in an
interview with Tadias Magazine following the announcement. “I am just one of
thousands of mentors who happened to be nominated.” He added: I am sure there a
lot more deserving mentors. The recognition would motivate me to do more.”
Dr. Bililign said that success in science, engineering or
math is not as glamorous as success in performing arts or sports in the U.S.,
but the economic competitiveness of the nation, depends on a solid foundation
in the sciences. “Young people need to be encouraged, pushed, persuaded to do
it,” he said. “Not for the money or fame but for the love of discovery and
innovation. I believe every one has a gift, and a mentor’s role is to identify
the gift and nurture it.”
Dr. Bililign was born in Dessie, Ethiopia. He left the
country in 1987 to pursue a PhD in Physics at the University of Iowa. “Both my
parents were teachers,” he said. “They are actually the first graduates of the
Debre Berhan Teachers Training program then run by the US Point Four program.”
He continued: “Their first assignment was in Mekele, Northern Ethiopia where
they started school under a tree by collecting shepherds from the field… that
modest start grew into a big elementary school where my father served as a
Principal for over 10 years and my mother taught home economics, until they
transferred to Dessie. I did all my school grades one through eleven at Atse
Yohannes Elementary and Secondary School.”
Dr. Bililign said he followed in his parents footsteps to be
trained as a high school teacher and joined the Prince Bede Mariam Laboratory
School in grade eleven. “ I graduated as a physics teacher from Addis Ababa
University (AAU), but ended up as a graduate assistant at AAU and taught there
as a lecturer for several years,” he said.
But Dr. Bililign’s life-journey has not always been easy. He
was imprisoned and tortured during the “Red Terror” era. His father died in a
car accident on his way to visit his son in prison.
“While no one had to go through [what I went through], I
think I have turned that negative and hard experience to my advantage, where I
spend most of my time teaching young prisoners during the day and prison guards
during the night, trying to give hope in a seemingly hopeless situation, and
keeping myself busy and overcoming negative feelings and bitterness,” he said.
“The experience also gave me time to reflect on my life and see the bigger
picture in life.”
And what is his advise to a new generation of aspiring
scientists? “For the young people who are intimidated by the hard work needed
in science, math and engineering, I say nothing in life is easy, it is all
about deciding to do it with passion. Every thing will give up its secrets if
you love it enough,” he said.
http://www.tadias.com
http://www.tadias.com
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