ABOUT ME

Dr. Addisu Mekonnen Kassie is a senior wildlife biologist and conservation scientist with over 15 years of experience directing wildlife, fish, biodiversity, and ecosystem projects in Africa and Canada. He currently serves as the Fisheries and Wildlife Manager with the Adams Lake Indian Band (Secwepemc Nation), where he integrates Indigenous knowledge with ecological science to lead wildlife, fisheries, and habitat stewardship initiatives and oversee projects that deliver measurable conservation outcomes.

Before joining Adams Lake Indian Band in April 2025, Dr. Addisu was a Postdoctoral Researcher with the University of Oslo, Norway, and the University of Calgary, Canada. He has conducted and directed wildlife and habitat research projects in Ethiopia to protect species at risk (e.g., Bale monkeys, geladas, Ethiopian wolves) and critical ecosystems (e.g., bamboo forest, Afroalpine). He has published 40+ peer-reviewed journals, contributed to IUCN Red List assessments, and secured about 30 international research and conservation grants.

Beyond his scientific contributions, Dr. Addisu is known for his collaborative leadership style and mentoring of the next generation of guardians, wildlife and conservation biologists. He has collaborated with governments, Indigenous communities, funders, and NGOs. He is passionate about bridging Western science, Indigenous knowledge, and policy to drive meaningful conservation outcomes that benefit wildlife, fish, habitats, and people. Dr. Addisu is an active member of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (P. Biol.), the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the International Primatological Society, and the Society for Conservation Biology.

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biology (Wildlife Ecology and Conservation)

University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) in Biology (Ecology and Zoology)

Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

• Fisheries and Wildlife Manager, Natural Resource Department, Adams Lake Indian Band, Chase, British Columbia, Canada (2025 - present)
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada (2021-2024)
• Sessional Instructor, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada (Fall 2023)
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia (2020-present)
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (2018-2021)
• Lecturer and study leave, Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2009-2016)

TEACHING

Recent courses taught

• Primate Behaviour
• Wildlife Ecology and Management
• Fundamentals of Ecology
• Introduction to Environmental Science
• Conservation and Management of Natural Resources