Dr. WoldeGabriel, an Ethiopian geologist, has been working professionally in Ethiopia since 1976. He is co-leader of the Middle Awash research project, in charge of geological studies. His areas of specialization include field geology, tectonics, volcanology, tephrochronology and tephrochemical analysis. Dr. WoldeGabriel is responsible for the field collection and chemical analysis of all volcanic samples gathered in the Middle Awash. He was a key part of the team responsible for dating Ardipithecus ramidus. Dr. WoldeGabriel works at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.