Asfaw Yemiru selflessly devoted himself to the welfare of others.  In a lifetime of service to those in need, he educated, provided social support, opportunity and inspiration to over 120,000 children and families at the Asra Hawariat School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which he founded.

The Asfaw Yemiru Green and Gold Professorship in Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, established with an endowment from Vermont Oxford Network, will honor Asfaw’s memory by supporting scholarship and service in Global Health.

The inaugural Asfaw Yemiru Professor is Danielle Ehret, MD MPH, Director of Global Health at Vermont Oxford Network and a neonatologist in the Department of Pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine. Through her dedication to global health, her partnership with colleagues in Ethiopia and other African countries to improve the quality of care for high-risk infants and their families, and her research, Dr. Ehret has demonstrated excellence in scholarship and service. Her commitment to social justice and health equity follows in the finest tradition of Asfaw’s ideals.