Professor Dereje Agonafer, a prominent Ethiopian scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has received an award for significant contribution in the thermomechanical field last week, March 20, 2008.
Professor Dereje Agonafer
As the Electronic Packaging industry develops technologies for fabrication of smaller, faster, economical and reliable products; thermal management and design play an important role. Following MooreEs Law, the number of transistors on a single on “high density interconnect” chip has exceeded a billion. The feature size of the die, however, is not changing much leading to a significant increase in power density. Coupled with the increased dynamic power, is the fast increasing static power caused by leakage current (the gate oxide thickness for 90nm nodes is only 1.2nm). The push for multi-core processors and high k dielectric is partly attributed to this leakage current. In this paper, the author will discuss the studies that he and his graduate students in cooperation with numerous industry colleagues have conducted in the last ten years in the area of thermo/mechanical challenges in electronics cooling/packaging. The discussion will include stacked packaging and the related thermo/mechanical challenges; efforts to reduce thermal resistance due to highly non-uniform chip power distribution, development of a best known method (BKM) for design of microprocessors based on power and thermal-architectural co-design, thermal challenge related to leakage current, effect of weight of heat sink assembly on mechanical reliability of a wire bonded plastic ball grid array package, bump electromigration and back end design rules, development of constitutive equations for lead free solders and some discussion on data centers and related energy management.
Professor Agonafer received his PhD from Howard University and joined IBM. After 15 years at IBM, in 1999, Dr. Dereje Agonafer joined the University of Texas at Arlington as Professor and Director of Electronics, MEMS, and Nanoelectronics Systems Packaging Center). He currently advises 16 graduate students including 6 PhDEs. Since joining UTA in 1999, he has graduated 53 graduate students. The research areas cover a broad area in electronic packaging including stacked packaging and the related thermo/mechanical challenges; efforts to reduce thermal resistance due to highly non-uniform chip power distribution, development of a best known method (BKM) for design of microprocessors based on power and thermal-architectural co-design, thermal challenge related to leakage current, effect of weight of heat sink assembly on mechanical reliability of a wire bonded plastic ball grid array package, bump electromigration and back end design rules, development of constitutive equations for lead free solders and thermal management of data centers. Professor Agonafer has published over 100 conference and journal papers and eight issued patents. In April 1998, Professor Agonafer was the recipient of the “The University of Colorado School of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award (DEAA) in the category of Research and Invention.” In November 1998, he received “The Howard University Distinguished PhD Alumni Award.” Also, in November 1998, he received “ASME K-16/EEPD Clock Award for Outstanding Contribution in Computer Aided Thermal Management of Electronic Packages.” In 2002, he received ASME International Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division Highest Division Award for “Outstanding Contributions to the Area of the Application of the Science and Engineering of Heat Transfer to Electronic and Photonic Packaging.” He is currently the Editor in Chief of ASME Press Book Series in Electronic Packaging and Associate Editor of the Journal of Electronic Packaging. From July 1997 – July 2000, he served as Chair of the ASME K-16 Committee in the Heat Transfer Division. Professor Agonafer is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International and a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is currently on a leave of absence as a Dr. Martin Luther King Visiting Professor at MIT in the Mechanical Engineering Department.
Twenty-six people are under arrest over the discovery of 90kg (14 stone) of fake gold in the vaults of Ethiopia’s central bank, a senior official says.
The fraud was discovered after some of the supposed gold was sent to South Africa, where it was found to be gold-plated steel.
Those held are expected to be charged in the next couple of weeks.
Rumours have been flying around the capital Addis Ababa about what happened to the real gold and who was to blame.
Those being held include officials of the national bank, said Berhanu Assefa, a spokesman for Ethiopia’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
The commission has been investigating the case for three months along with Ethiopian police and intelligence officials.
“Around 26 are under arrest – seven from the national bank of Ethiopia, four from the Ethiopian Geological Survey and 15 businessmen and their collaborators have been arrested,” Mr Assefa said.
“No-one has yet been charged – we expect that… our prosecutor will charge them.”
The value of the missing gold was around 158m Ethiopian birr, or $16m for just one of the missing cases, he said, adding this was a huge amount for a poor country such as Ethiopia.
More missing gold
Although this is the most dramatic case that the anti-corruption commission has had to deal with, it is not actually the biggest.
That was a case involving corrupt tendering and procurement at the State Telecommunications Corporation.
The first fake gold to be found was part of a consignment of 90kg bought from a local businessman.
As well as this case, at least one other is likely to follow, this time involving a further 38kg of fake gold.
This was gold which should have been safely locked in the vaults for the past five years, raising the possibility that it had been tampered with while it was inside the central bank.
(WSBTV) Investigators spent the night searching for clues after a paralyzed man was found murdered in his home. Police found 51-year-old Tedla Lemma dead inside his home on Kenion Forest Drive in Lilburn, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta (Gwinnett County).
Officials said the preliminary investigation indicated that Lemma died from unnatural causes and have ruled the death a homicide.
Neighbors told Channel 2 Lemma lived in the home in the quiet neighborhood with his brother.
“Two very, very nice brothers owned a convenience store. One had been shot when the convenience store was robbed and he was partially paralyzed,” neighbor Suzanne Zarozsky told Channel 2’s John Cater.
Tuesday afternoon, loved ones of Lemma received news from Gwinnett County police that he had been killed following a family member’s request that they check up on him.
Once authorities received permission to go inside the home, officials found the 51-year-old unresponsive on the floor.
“It’s common for them to everyday make a check on this person and when they could not get this person to the door today, that’s when they contacted Gwinnett County police,” said David Schiralli with Gwinnett County police.
Crime scene investigators worked into the early morning hours of Wednesday searching for clues.
The cause of death and its circumstances are still under investigation and are not known at this time, according to Gwinnett County police.
Family members told Channel 2 the victim moved here from Ethiopia in the 1990s to “live the American dream.” They said first there was the convenience store robbery that left Lemma partially paralyzed and then his murder.
Starting from 30 March, daily flights will connect the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and Frankfurt in German as a result of codeshare flights between Lufthansa German Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines. The news was announced by the latter air company’s website.
“The new code share agreement marks a significant landmark as we are now in the position to offer our customers daily connections from Addis Ababa to Lufthansa’s hub in Frankfurt with convenient onward flights,” noted Mr. Tewolde G.Mariam, Chief Operating Officer of Ethiopian.
With this agreement, the two carriers jointly provide daily frequency on the Addis Ababa-Frankfurt route. Ethiopian presently provides three weekly services from its home base Addis Ababa to Frankfurt on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, while the in-bound services to Addis Ababa are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Lufthansa currently flies to Frankfurt four times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays). The cooperation will provide to customers in terms of more choices of services.
Mr. Girma Wake, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, and Mr. Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Chairman and CEO, Lufthansa German Airlines signed the main agreement on June 2nd, 2007 in Vancouver, Canada and various operational agreements have been signed subsequently to facilitate the implementation of the codshare agreement.
“The new code share agreement will further strengthen Ethiopian’s position in Germany and other European markets by creating additional possibilities to access traffic through the extensive network of Lufthansa”, said Mr. Wake, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. He added that the agreement will pave the way for Ethiopian to further strengthen its co-operation with Lufthansa and other Star Alliance member airlines.
Since last October 28th, Ethiopian’s ShebaMiles members have been able to earn and/or use their award miles on the international route network of Lufthansa. Likewise Lufthansa’s ‘Miles & More Members have started utilizing Ethiopian’s services to accrue and redeem award miles on all its international and domestic scheduled flights.
Ethiopian has been partnering with LSG Lufthansa Service, world’s biggest airline caterer and provider of integrated in-flight solutions which assist Ethiopian in managing and upgrading its catering division.
Nairobi – The United Nations Children’s Fund is seeking $650m for sanitation in Ethiopia, where 35 million people are deprived of adequate hygiene, a Unicef statement says.
The African Development Bank, the World Bank and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) had pledged more than $50m for the project, but Unicef added that it was “still a far cry, however, from the estimated $650m required for universal coverage in Ethiopia”.
“Unicef calls on all donors to invest in achieving sustainable access to improved sanitation, which is essential for the realisation of human rights, health and dignity,” said Bjorn Ljungqvist, Unicef representative to Ethiopia.
Though more than 1.2 billion people worldwide had gained access to improved sanitation between 1990 and 2004, an estimated 2.6 billion people – including 980 million children – had yet to be reached.
——————— Woyanne will steal most of this money and use it to build concentration camps.
World’s Most Famous Fossil ”Lucy” Comes to Seattle
West Coast Premiere Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia Opens Oct. 4
Discover Five-Million-Year History of the Cradle of Mankind
SEATTLE — Ethiopia is the cradle of mankind, the birthplace of coffee, the purported resting place of the Ark of the Covenant — and home to legions of Bob Marley fans. Discover five million years of this country’s diverse history and culture in the West Coast premiere exhibition Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia, on display at Pacific Science Center from Oct. 4, 2008 – March 8, 2009.
The exhibition will include the original fossilized remains of the 3.2 million-year-old hominid known as Lucy. With 40 percent of her skeleton intact, Lucy remains the oldest and most complete adult human ancestor fully retrieved from African soil. Other important paleoanthropological discoveries will also be represented to complete the current account of human evolution as known to scientists today.
“Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia provides visitors with an extraordinary opportunity to come face to face with Lucy, the oldest, most complete, and best preserved adult fossil of any erect-walking human ancestor,” said Bryce Seidl, president and CEO of Pacific Science Center. “The discovery of Lucy continues to profoundly influence our understanding of human origins. “Lucy’s Legacy” provides people the opportunity to better understand current scientific theory of human evolution and to see for themselves how, more than 30 years after her discovery, she continues to create debate.”
Pacific Science Center has been working with the local Ethiopian community and others to ensure the experience of this exhibit extends to all corners of the Pacific Northwest, added Seidl.
According to Amina Negash, a young Ethiopian woman living in Seattle, this exhibition will mean a great deal to the young Ethiopian people in this community and region.
“We not only want the young people in our community to learn about our rich history and culture, but this exhibit is a chance to share that with other young people who may come here on school field trips or with their families,” Negash said. “And maybe by learning about the people of Ethiopia we bring the world closer together. We appreciate each other more.”
The 1974 discovery of this famous hominid contributed to the definition of a new species, Australopithecus afarensis, and continues to have a major impact on the scientific understanding of our human origins. Through additional artifacts spanning over 1.6 million years, visitors will also experience Ethiopia, Lucy’s homeland. With eight locales on the World Heritage List, Ethiopia is rich in history and culture, and it holds a unique position in the study of paleoanthropology.
“Ethiopia’s natural diversity also extends to the plurality of its peoples,” said His Excellency Ambassador Mohamoud Dirir, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. “Her people speak more than 80 languages. Ethiopia is home to different faiths and religions. Judaism, Christianity, Islam and a number of traditional indigenous beliefs have peacefully coexisted for millennia. These long-stretched and deep-rooted values have made Ethiopia a country known for its proverbial hospitality.”
Explore over 2,000 years of history of the ancient civilization of Axum, which became the first Christian African nation in the 4th century A.D.; the people who created the spectacular rock-hewn, underground churches of Lalibela (named after the last king of the Zagwe dynasty) in the 13th century A.D.; and the stunning architecture of the Royal Enclosure at Gondar, built in the 17th century A.D. Discover a dynasty of emperors that ruled Ethiopia through 1974, believed by Ethiopians to represent a direct, unbroken line of descendants of the Queen of Sheba and the biblical King Solomon.
More than 100 artifacts illuminate Ethiopia’s rich heritage. See early stone tools found in Ethiopia; a wide selection of objects from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church such as illuminated manuscripts and processional crosses; a selection of Korans from the holy city of Harar, the fourth most important site in Islam; and the first coins minted by an indigenous African civilization. Paintings, musical instruments, implements of daily use, a scale model of the famous Church of St. George in Lalibela and more will also be on display.
“The history of Ethiopia, known to many as Abyssinia, is rich, ancient and, in many ways, still unknown,” said Seidl. “This exhibit introduces viewers to the rich cultural heritage that has flourished in Ethiopia over the course of the last 3 millennia and to the vibrant country that Ethiopia is today.”
After its West Coast premiere in Seattle, Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia will tour museums throughout the United States.
“What we know about human evolution comes to us from the African continent and, in large part, from Ethiopia,” said Dirk Van Tuerenhout, Ph.D., curator of anthropology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. “In addition to its importance to human prehistory, the recorded history of Ethiopia has many surprising and fascinating aspects, from its tradition of beautiful art to its diverse religious community. Visitors to Lucy’s Legacy will have the opportunity to explore all of the intriguing characteristics that make this country unique.”
As part of the total experience, Pacific Science Center will feature the IMAX® film Mystery of the Nile, hands-on interactive exhibits, cultural and scientific demonstrations and, in alliance with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, a distinguished lecture series.
Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia is an international exhibition organized by The Houston Museum of Natural Science in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Exhibition Coordinating Committee. The exhibition’s presentation in Seattle has been made possible in part by the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle and King County. The Seattle Times and Seattle Post Intelligencer are the official print sponsors of the Seattle exhibit.
National funding for Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia is provided by Ethiopian Airlines and The Smith Foundation.
For general information please call 1-877-SEE-LUCY(733-5829) or go to www.pacificsciencecenter.org/lucy. Group bookings available now: 206-443-3611. School Field Trip bookings available now: 206-443-2925. Individual public tickets go on sale July 1, 2008.
For more information about Lucy and this exhibit, check www.LucyExhibition.com and www.BecomingHuman.org.
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Pacific Science Center (pacificsciencecenter.org) is an independent, not-for-profit educational institution that inspires lifelong interest in science, math and technology by engaging diverse communities through interactive and innovative exhibits and programs in every county of Washington state and beyond.
