Fasil Giorghis is an Associate Professor in the College of Business and Economics at Addis Ababa University. A scholar of the preservation of the architectural heritage of Ethiopia, Giorghis has contributed articles on sustainable architecture and the preservation of cultural heritage. In 2008, he published his book Addis Ababa the City and its Urban and Architectural Heritage from 1886-1941.
His architectural design work combines local materials, indigenous knowledge, and environmental concerns in contemporary design. His restoration of historic buildings in Ethiopia includes the Red Terror Memorial Museum, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Aksum St. Mary of Tsion Church, St. Gabriel Church, and the National Palace.
Giorghis is a founding member of the Ethiopian Heritage Trust, and President of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, Ethiopia. In 2024 he received a national award for his work in the preservation of Ethiopia’s architectural heritage.
Heran Sereke-Brhan has contributed to many publications on the social and political history, arts, and material culture of Ethiopia. Prior to joining the National Museum of African Art as Deputy Director in 2024, Sereke-Brhan served as Executive Director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities from 2019 to 2022. She was Deputy Director for the D.C. Mayor’s Office on African Affairs from 2014 to 2017. A native of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sereke-Brhan holds a bachelor’s degree from Mills College, and a master’s degree and a doctorate in history from Michigan State University.
