Personal profile
Full name: Berhanu Nigussie Worku
Date of birth: 05 May, 1983
Place of birth: ‘Burqaa-Caffee, Hidhabu-Abote, Selale, Oromia
Primary education: General Tadesse Biru/Ejere Primary School
Secondary school: Fitche Comprehensive Secondary School
Degrees and areas of study/ specialization: Psychology; Child/Adolescent Play Therapy & Clinical Supervision; Child/Adolescent Positive & Trans-cultural Psychotherapy (Internationally Licensed); and PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences/Pediatric Rehabilitation
Research and publications:
Total publications as a whole: 27
Number of publications since last promotion: 13
Total publication as first author: 9
Major research area/s and contributions with a focus on visible effects in the community/ discipline/: Child/Adolescent Development, Nutrition, Health and Rehabilitation (Pediatric Rehabilitation), Psychosocial Rehabilitation, …Teaching and student supervising
Specializations / specific courses offered: Advanced Child Health and Development; Advanced Adolescent Health and Development; Childhood Care and Education; Advanced Statistical Methods; Advanced Research Methods;…
· Total service year (at JU+ other institution): 16 (13 years at JU)
· Number of MA/MSc students supervised/co-supervised: 37 (11 Belgian Msc Students)
· Number of PhD students supervised/co-supervised: 4
Community services
· Different contributions in the university in both professional and non professional areas:
o Facilitated (as a chairperson) Mental Health & Psychosocial Support training for staff and students of JU to help combat COVID-19; and provided TOT training for experts from Psychiatry, Social Work, Special Needs Education and Psychology Departments in sustaining the support system
o Provided training for Teachers, Students and Parents on Psychological Readiness to build resilience during and after COVID-19, at JU-Community School, SOS Schools, Beteseb Academy and other schools in Jimma Zone
o Served as a researcher, lead-trainer, project-designer-developer-supervisor & evaluator for Child Health & Nutrition Project within VLIR: IUC-JU
o Worked as a team member who revised research priority areas of Jimma University
o Has served as Editorial Board Member for Gada Journal, and Reviewer for Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences and Language Studies, and Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences
o A member of PhD Curricula Development Committee in 4 ( four) Specialties of Psychology
o Worked as Academic Quality Assurance Coordinator at the College of Social Sciences & Law (with positive performance evaluation result)
o Has been working as Research & Postgraduate Studies Coordinator at the College of Education & Behavioral Sciences (CEBS), Jimma University (with positive performance evaluation results)
** Visible contribution in the community:
o Has been voluntarily working with Jimma Zone Labor & Social Affairs, and Women-Children & Adolescent Affairs Offices, HUNDEE–Oromo Grassroots Development Initiative & IOM in Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Re-integration of Adolescent Migrant Returnees to their families & communities; and conduct series of awareness raising sessions to curb the problems
o Has been providing series of training— on reducing substance use (e.g. Khat), rehabilitating disadvantaged children/ adolescents and their families, positive parenting & disciplining, boosting awareness about child abuse, migration and work ethics— for experts working with Children and Adolescents in the 18 Woredas in Jimma Zone, in collaboration with the offices
o Voluntarily working with NGOs (e.g. Plan International) to help build children’s and adolescents’ Resilience, and Community-Resilience for the most disadvantaged and disaster-susceptible communities in Jimma Zone and beyond
o Has made proper use of Social Medias and Mainstream medias (TV & Radios) such as ETV, OBN, FANA BROADCASTING CORPORATE S.C. & JU-Community Radio in practically translating (or utilizing) the scientific findings for communities at large on the multidimensional issues about child/adolescent rehabilitation in Afan Oromo and Amharic Languages— i.e. has made research findings solve community’s problems.