Ylliass Destin LAWANI - Ylliass Destin LAWANI

My name is Ylliass Destin LAWANI. I'm collaborating with GLOBE since its launch, and currently involved at different level in its management.

My first contact with GLOBE dates back to 1995 when I was at High school, where I studied biology with the one who would later become the national coordinator of the GLOBE Program in Benin, Mrs. Alidjennatou ALIOU EMMANUEL, to whom I would like to pay a special tribute. Not only did she give me a taste of science, but she also has been a mother for me and a real mentor.

When I graduated I created the first GLOBE alumni organization in the National University of Benin which was formally set up in 2010. GLOBE Alumni Benin is a dynamic and dedicated group of scientists and professionals who are closely working to sustain GLOBE in Benin. Since 2013 I’m the GLOBE Assistant country coordinator of Benin acting  CC, and I’m glad to serve the program at this level.

Previously in 2010 I joined the GLOBE Africa Regional office as the GLOBE Alumni Africa regional representative under the mentorship of its director Mr. Mark BRETTENNY whose interest and dedication to alumni activities is highly valuable. Many times, he had personally funded some activities we had been organizing through the continent in Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana (where i had the opportunity to represent the region through a GLOBE Europe and GLOBE Africa collaboration projet which concluded in the installation of an automated weather station), Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. With the support of the GPO later called GIO, I had participated as organizing team member,  in all GLOBE Africa Regional Meetings since 2010 to date, and many research campaigns GLOBE and Its partners had launched. I’m have been honored to participate in the elaboration of the GLOBE Strategic plan 2018-2023 as a GLOBE Alumni. I represented the GLOBE Africa Region in the GLOBE Evaluation working group from 2017 to december 2020. Since january 2022 i'm serving in this working group for the second time, as at large member,. I was also honored to be part of the 2021 and 2022 GLOBE Annual Meeting International Organizing Committee (IOC). This was my third time to participate in such organizing committee and it was really amazing!

From 2017 to 2021, I coordinated the GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention project in Benin (my country was one of the two project focal countries in Africa Region).  This Zika project worked with citizen scientists, public health officials, teachers, and students to safely collect larvae samples in 30 Zika-affected countries in three GLOBE regions : Africa- Asia and Pacific- Latin America and Caribbean.  It encourages STEM studies and builds networks with public health officials to better control mosquitoes and reduce mosquito-borne infectious disease. The dynamic team of GLOBE alumni who was involved in the project coordination in Benin helped to successfuly achieve the project goals in Benin. Their work concluded in the classification of Benin as the second  data contributor by the project evaluators in march 2020. I would like hereby to pay a vibrant tribute to these exceptional ladies and gentlemen who decided to give their passion and energy to serve GLOBE and the environment. I strongly hope that this dedication and involvement will mirror our work on strengthening GLOBE in our country, and in Africa region.

I stay connected and will be interested in any kind of collaboration with the GLOBE community.

Here are couple links you may want to click on :

Kilimandjaro GLOBE Learning Expeditions

Team Member of the Kilimandjaro Expeditions from 2010 to 2015 : https://www.globe.gov/news-events/meetings_symposia/kilimanjaro-learning-xpedition and http://globe-africa.org/event-120923.php

Lake Victoria Learning Expedition

https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-news/newsdetail/globe/lake-victoria-learning-exhibition-engages-youth-in-vital-hands-on-research

Virtual Student Science Symposia 

Since 2016 I’m Mentor and Judge at the GLOBE Virtual Student Science Symposia https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-events/virtual-conferences

Why do you “Do GLOBE”?  https://www.globe.gov/explore-science/scientists-blog/archived-posts/sciblog/index.html_p=1822.html 

GLOBE ZIKA Projet and citizen science

 https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/398/meet-a-citizen-scientist-ylliass-destin-lawani

Research papers

I had been involved or associated with researches related to GLOBE and sciences :

Yule,S., Murphy,A., Fenzel,M., Buali,S., Bourgeault, J.,Tunkl T., Lawani,Y., Elwan, M., Ruairuen,W.,Altin L., Boonkhot,P., “Cultivating a Global Pool of Future Geoscientists and Mentors”,AGU Fall Meeting 2015, San Francisco, USA (link)

Aïkpon, R., Dramane,G., Klotoé,J.R., Brettenny,M., Lawani,Y., Aïkpon G., Yadouléton,A., “Assessment of population dynamics and biting trends of Aedes aegypti in northern Benin: Public health implications”. International Journal of Mosquito Research 2019; 6(2): 19-23.(link)

Aïkpon, R., Klotoé,J.R., Dramane,G., Brettenny,M., Lawani,Y., “Larval breeding characteristics and distribution of Aedes mosquito species in the economic capital of Benin: A public health concern”. International Journal of Enthomology Research 2019; 4(3): 57-62 (link)