The Green Revolution and its positive effect on agricultural systems has always inspired Dr. Haimanote Bayabil. He believes that improved technologies in agriculture not only increase the viability of food production but also save lives.  He understands that leadership is not about giving orders, but about listening to stakeholders, modeling exemplary behavior, and motivating others. His motivation for studying agricultural sciences was threefold: to be better exposed to current advances in science and technologies, and their implementation towards solving water scarcity and associated low crop productivity problems; to strengthen his research and computational skills towards conducting sound and feasible research projects intended to promote efficient utilization of rain water; and to broaden his knowledge in the theoretical concepts and practical aspects of the social, economical and ecological factors involved in multidisciplinary management of agricultural and natural resources.

Dr. Bayabil received his Borlaug LEAP Fellowship in 2011.   His PhD research was investigating the potential of biochar, charcoal, and biofuel crops to improve runoff-erosion and greenhouse gas from degraded soils in the Ethiopian highlands. His fellowship supported multilevel research and mentoring by Dr. Tammo Steenhuis, Cornell University and Dr. Charlotte MacAllster at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and he completed his doctorate in Biological and Environmental Engineering in 2015.

Dr. Bayabil is currently working as a Post-doctoral researcher a Prairie View A&M University in Texas. He plans return to Ethiopia in the future to use his knowledge and experience to train young scientists in science-based problem solving research with the aim of improving productivity of smallholder agricultural systems.