Segenet Kelemu

"It is a great honour for me to return to K-State, an institution where I benefited from, and learnt the value of partnerships in science."

"I witnessed the daily struggle of communities trying to eke a living from their land while fighting a losing battle with pests and other factors."

"I feel extremely fortunate to be recognised by many organisations from different parts of the world."

"I am always aware that my personal efforts have been backed by immense support by researchers, graduate students, other staff, partners, my family, and global partners."

"It is a great privilege to receive an award that combines two of my passions: science and agriculture."

"Much of my scientific career has focussed on using molecular tools to address agricultural constraints."

"I have been continually inspired by the possibility of changing the lives of farmers, moving from a vicious cycle of struggle to a virtuous one of prosperity."

"While icipe generates high quality, world class knowledge, the Centre’s most authentic strength is the success in transforming livelihoods of numerous endusers including farmers."

"Ask Africa—Can Agribiotech Make the Difference."

"They are there everywhere, small and big."

"I consider myself very blessed and fortunate."

"I'm hyper, It's difficult for me to sit and relax."

"I read a lot of biographies."

"Life is always a lesson Every day, I learn from everybody."

"It takes a village to raise a child, as our African sayings go... and it takes a global village to generate a successful scientist."

"Without enough food everything else slides down the priority list. That is why I chose to study agricultural sciences."

"I realized when I was in my first year of university that lifting people out of poverty first and foremost begins with modernizing agriculture and providing access to nutritious and adequate food to all. That is the basis and building block for any development and progress."

"Being back in my continent and working to solve production, environmental and health constraints facing my fellow Africans is very rewarding and fulfilling."

"People can positively respond to skills, experience and knowledge, and anything else can be made irrelevant."

"Gender inequality is a global phenomenon, and I am not immune to that. I think in my case, race played more than gender and when the two are combined, they have a compounded effect. However, I worked very hard to make these “two issues” be eclipsed by my skills, strong work ethics, delivery and a strong track record. It is possible to overcome these through hard work and excellence."

"Careers in science can be taxing and highly demanding especially when you must raise all the funds you need to do the job. It requires dedicating long hours to work. However, it is exhilarating and rewarding."

"You can use science to solve the most critical problems faced by society. You save lives, you improve the quality of life, you tackle environmental issues and so on. What other profession can be more rewarding than this?"

"We need to boost women's participation in graduate programs at MSc and PhD levels and provide support and well-planned strategies for a career path and growth."

"I give advice all the time...Some of the advice includes: not to despair when experiments don’t work (that is why you do the experiment, to figure out how to do it and to find answers); that science is very rewarding; that you can create a fulfilling career in science and do the things you love to do and contribute to society; that science knowledge is empowering and uplifting; that women are meticulous scientists; that you can balance work-family demands; believe in yourself and in your capacity to be a brilliant scientist, be assertive..."

"The value of investment in science and the appreciation of scientists cannot be overemphasized for our well-being and that of our planet."