M

BINIAM TADDELE MARU, PH.D

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL

Chemical Engineering ~Energy Engineering ~ Biotechnology ~ Hydrogen Energy

Innovative, pioneering professional in the areas of research and development, industrial energy and environmental
issues. Gaining insight in the underlying mechanisms of natures processes as well as developing biotechnology
associated applications is key themes in my personal and professional development. As a committed creative researcher
I feel comfortable in a dynamic and innovative work environment dedicated to hydrogen R&D. Skilled in the utilization
of cellulosic biomass, other renewable sources and biodiesel waste glycerol for the production of biochemicals and fuels.
Extensive background in metabolic engineering, biomass degradation, microbial fermentation, process design, biological
and catalytic application for the hydrolysis of cellulose to the production hydrogen and chemical commodities. Perform
small scale anaerobic fermentation and mimic industrial process conditions to aid in design of a commercial process.
Shift Supervise and factory incharge during off-hours in cement production. Published many articles on different
academic journals. Work experience of more than six years both in educational and practical setting.
Areas of Expertise include:

Chemical Engineering
Biotechnology
Energy Engineering and Analysis
Energy Management Systems

Engineering Technology
Hydrogen Energy and Production
Waste Water Treatment
Cement Production

Life Cycle Assessment

Process supervision
Fuel Cell
Bioengineering

E DUCATION
Ph.D, Chemical Engineerning, DOCTOR EUROPAEUS MENTION, Excellent Cum Laude
ROVIRA I VIRGILI UNIVERSITY | Tarragona, ES | 2013
Thesis: Sustainable Production of Hydrogen and Chemical Commodities from Biodiesel Waste Crude Glycerol and Cellulose
by Biological and Catalytic Process
Addressed highly sophisticated nature of handling and isolating a wide variety of microorganisms, as well as the preparation of
heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrolysis of cellulose to broaden the horizon of hydrogen production
and other value-added chemicals
MASTER OF SCIENCE, Environmental Engineering
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY| Addis Ababa, ET | 2008
Thesis: Technical, Economical, and Environmental Comparative Analysis of Fuel Oil with Coal as Energy Sources in Cement
Industry: The Case Study of Messebo Cement Factory
Thesis published as a book, as national decision leaders recognized that substitution of coal over fuel as energy source in the
cement factory had little environmental effect, ISBN 978-3639160482 (see Select Publications, page 3)
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, Chemical Engineering
ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY| Addis Ababa, ET | 2003
Thesis: Ethanol Gelfuel Production from Biomass for Household Cooling Fuels
Addressed energy scarcity and environmental hazards at the household level, using sugarcane to produce Ethanol Gelfuel
CERTIFICATE, Advanced Separation Technologies in Chemical Engineering
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITT BERLIN| Berlin, DE | 2008
CERTIFICATE, AUTO CAD Computer Aided Design
GRACE COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER | Addis Ababa, ET | 2002

T ECHNICAL AND U NIQUE P ROFESSIONAL S KILLS

Experienced in the management of ability to understand and effectively communicate management levels research
strategies, collaborating with interdisciplinary groups in research, technological development and innovation.
Analyze and characterize a new isolate of microbial strains (mesophilic or thermophilic ) and critically evaluate data
for desired properties for hydrogen production , e.g. to identify targets for strain improvement
Experienced in the management of Ability to understand and effectively communicate management levels research
strategies, collaborating with interdisciplinary groups in research, technological development and innovation.
Ambitious, have strong work ethic, capable of learning new technologies, positive & winning attitude.
Extensive expertise communication, collaborative research at industrial and work sites
Design, development, follow-up, demonstrate verbal, written communication and presentation of research projects.
AUTO CAD Computer-Aided Design, LCA Simpro 8, Sigma plot 13.
Characterization techniques including: PCR, GC,FT-IR, RAMAN, HPLC, MALDI-TOF, , TPD, GC-MS, , MS and XRD.
Multilingual professional, with fluency in English, Amharic, Tigrigna, and Spanish

Waldorf, MD 20603

240-615-7363

biniam.maru@gmail.com

BINIAM TADDELLE MARU, PH.D/PAGE 2

E XPERIENCE & N OTABLE C ONTRIBUTIONS
UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI Tarragona, ES 2009-2014
A teaching and research institution

PH.D RESEARCH AND TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP

TEMPORARY RESEARCH FELLOW

Held research and teaching assistantship from 2009-2013 and then serving as temporary Research Fellow.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Provided laboratory assistance for second-year biotechnology students for Practices of Thermodynamics and
Kinetics, as well as Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering II.
Developed energy- efficient and environmentally sustainable hydrogen technologies and practices.
Conducted research on the production of hydrogen from different raw materials using some new catalyst and novel
microorganisms. Assessed the potential of glycerol for H2 production under anaerobic conditions i.e. dark
fermentation
Demonstrated a two-step combined system consisting of heterogeneous catalysis followed dark fermentation for the
production of biohydrogen.

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY Wageningen, NL 2011-2012

A public Dutch university with a focus on a healthy food and living environment
RESEARCHER, LABORATORY OF MICROBIOLOGY

Conducted microbiology research under the supervision of Dr. Serv Kengen.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENT:

Demonstrated the application of thermophiles for bio-hydrogen production from the waste chemical glycerol,
unraveling the pathway for glycerol fermentation and analyzing the bioenergetics.
Biohydrogen production from glycerol by T. maritima was investigated. Optimum growth parameters and
cultivation conditions were determined. A putative glycerol catabolic pathway leading to hydrogen is presented,
and the unusual thermodynamics and biochemistry of high yield hydrogen formation from glycerol.

AFRICAN RALLY FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT Addis Ababa, ET 2005-2007

Engaged in advocacy and campaigning, education and research, partnership and networking, as well as dissemination of
information on peace and security, justice and human rights, development and a safe environment
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT

Completed research on sustainable, environmentally friendly, and low-cost energy development.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Promoted energy and environmental management systems in Ethiopian manufacturing enterprises.
Provided leadership and technical support for the implementation of millennium development goals for Ethiopia,

addressing energy crises in local communities.

LEATHER AND LEATHER PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE (LLPTI) Addis Ababa, ET 2006-2007
Producing trained manpower, providing consultancy and technical service, and conducting research and development in the areas
of leather processing and leather goods technology
PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR

Served as part-time instructor in Leather and Leather products technology institute.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Taught Introduction to Engineering.
Provided instruction in effluent tannery treatment.

MESSEBO CEMENT FACTORY Mekelle, ET 2003-2004

Capable of producing 3,000 tons per day
SHIFT ENGINEER

Followed the quality of production, reporting results directly to General Manager.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Responsible for smooth operation and safety of all plant through shift staff, from crusher to packing plant

Addressed production quality throughout all industrial work. Handle all trouble shooting along with Elect and Mech
Act as a factory incharge during off-hours. Obtain optimum production by specified norms / parameters.
Put Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into practical application. Ensure efficient conservation of fuel and power
Waldorf, MD 20603 240-615-7363 biniam.maru@gmail.com

BINIAM TADDELLE MARU, PH.D/PAGE 3

A WARDS AND H ONORS

Winner of Young Division travel Grant offered by International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE) to present
work at Mini Symposium of Young Scientists at WHEC Conference in Toronto, CA, 2012

Winner of 6-month Research Grant outside Catalonia (BE-DGR), 2012

Received scholarship to attend conference and present work from COST 543 Training School in Rende, IT, 2010

Third-Place poster winner at International Meeting of Biotechnology (BIOSPAIN), Pamplona, ES, 2010

Received scholarship from Generatlitat the Catlua to continue Ph.D research, 2009-2012

Received scholarship from DADD for summer school in Advanced Separation Technologies at Technische Universitt,
Berlin, DE, 2008

Great Distinction Masters Program at Faculty of Technology, Addis Ababa University, 2008

$25,000 Ethiopian Birr Grant from Messebo Cement Factory to support masters thesis, 2007

First Money Award from MIT AITI Enterpreneurship Competition for producing Ethanol Gelfuel in Ethiopian
University level, 2007

S ELECT P UBLICATIONS

Gell EJ, Maru B.T, Chimento RJ., Gispert-F, M. Constant, F. Medina (2013) Heterogeneous catalysis and dark
fermentation systems for the conversion of cellulose into biohydrogen, Biochemical Engineering Journal,101:209219
Maru B.T, Bielen A.A. M., M. Constant,F. Medina,Kengen S.W.M. (2013) Glycerol fermentation to hydrogen by
Thermotoga maritima: Proposed pathway and bioenergetic considerations. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy,
38(14): 5563-5572.
Maru B.T., Constanti, M., Stchigel, A. M., Medina, F. and Sueiras, J. E. (2013), Biohydrogen production by dark
fermentation of glycerol using Enterobacter and Citrobacter Sp. Biotechnol Progress, 29: 3138. doi: 10.1002/btpr.1644

Maru B.T., Bielen, A. A. M., Kengen, S. W. M., Constant, M., Medina, F. (2012). Biohydrogen production from glycerol
using Thermotoga spp. Energy Procedia ISSN 1876-6102 - p. 300 - 307.Elsevier, 2012

Maru, B T. (2010). Technical, Economic, and Environmental: Comparative of Fuel Oil With Coal as Energy Source in the
Cement Industry. Saarbrckenm, DE: VDM Verlag Dr. Mller. ISBN 978-3639160482.

Maru B.T. F. Medina, J.E. Sueiras and A.M. Stchigel Glikman. (2009). Biohydrogen production from different
biodegradable substrates through dark fermentation ,New Biotechnology, Volume 25, Supplement, September 2009,
Pages S216S217 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2009.06.173

S ELECT P RESENTATIONS

Maru B.T, Gebreegziabher T., Medina F., Tefera N, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, Catalonia Ethanol-based gelfuel
production from biomass for household cooking fuel. Poster presentation the 15th National Conference and Global
Forum on Science, Policy and the Environment: Energy and Climate Change organized by NCSE. January 26-27, 2015.
Washington DC.

Maru B.T. Chimento RJ., Constant. M, Medina F. Improvement of biohydrogen and usable chemical products from
glycerol by co: culture of Enterobacter spH1 and Citrobacter freundii H3 using support assisted surface immobilization.
Poster presentation. Society of Industrial Microbiology Annual Meeting and Exhibition 2013 (SIMB), San Diego, CA.

Maru B.T. , A. A. M. Bielen, S. W. M. Kengen , M. Constant, F. Medina Biohydrogen production from glycerol using
Thermotoga spp. Oral presentation at the 19th World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2012 (WHEC2012). June 3-7,
2012. Toronto, CA.

P ROFESSIONAL M EMBERSHIPS
Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, US, since 2012
Association for Energy Engineers, US, since 2012
Ethiopian Chemical Engineers Society, ET, since 2000

Waldorf, MD 20603

240-615-7363

biniam.maru@gmail.com