Embedded systems & robotics
Arduino and Raspberry Pi systems with PID control, Kalman filtering and tuned PWM actuators — built, field-tested and iterated until the numbers moved.
Carnegie Mellon University · School of Computer Science
Liyu GetanehልዩLiyu = “special”Berhanu.
I build embedded systems that save water.
Selam! I’m a first-year Computer Science student at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science in Doha, Qatar — born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I work where hardware, AI and security meet: from an Arduino micro-garden that cut water use by 25% to an automated seeder my team demonstrated to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister.
- Top 50 of 580,000 · national exam
- 1st place · Addis TeenCode Hackathon
- Demoed to Ethiopia’s Prime Minister
- 3rd place · Meta ENG competition
Addis Ababa → Doha≈ 2,260 km · same time zone
11:00 ከሰዓትEthiopian time in Addis
- Python
- C++
- C
- JavaScript
- SQL
- Arduino
- Raspberry Pi
- PID control
- Kalman filters
- PWM tuning
- Embedded systems
- Cat5e / Cat6 · T568A/B
- SPSS
- Data logging
- Accessibility-first web
- Workshop facilitation
- Security & privacy
- Public speaking
At a glance
Top 50
of 580,000 students on Ethiopia’s national university entrance exam
1,000+
young people reached by Cyber Smart, my digital-safety initiative
10,000+
census tablets audited for Ethiopia’s agricultural census
3×
faster planting with the automated seeder my team built
25%
less water used by my automated micro-garden
፩What I do
Where hardware, AI & security meet
Security & privacy
Founder of Cyber Smart, a digital-safety initiative that has reached 1,000+ young Ethiopians with workshops on phishing, privacy and passwords — now pursuing CMU’s Security & Privacy concentration.
Data & research
Python and SPSS pipelines for a public-health study of 500+ participants and 90 pharmacies, with findings delivered to national policymakers.
፪Selected work
Things I’ve built
Presented to the Prime Minister
AgriTech Automated Seeder
Led a five-person team to build an Arduino–Raspberry Pi seeder with PID motor control and Kalman-filtered sensing, validated in the field.
3×planting speed
32→15%placement error
400+demo audience
Certified · 360+ lab hours
Automated Micro-Garden
Smart irrigation and climate control on Arduino: soil-moisture and temperature sensing driving PWM-tuned fans and pumps.
−25%water use
+40%growth rate
360+lab hours
3rd · Meta ENG competition
Cyber Smart Initiative
A digital-safety initiative teaching young Ethiopians to defend against phishing, social-media risks and weak passwords.
1,000+youth reached
100+workshop attendees
500+online community
Funded by a university grant
Public-Health Data Framework
A Python and SPSS analytical framework surfacing gaps in regional health awareness, with findings delivered to national policymakers.
500+participants
90pharmacies
75%deficiency found
፫Experience · ልምድ
Hands-on since 2021
- Jul 2025 — PresentExtra Low Voltage (ELV) Systems InternBezemaCon PLC
- May 2024 — Oct 2025Lead Data Analyst & Research Team MemberKotebe University of Education — Menelik I Science Shared Campus
- Aug 2024 — Jan 2025Summer Program Intern — Embedded Systems DevelopmentInformation Network Security Agency (INSA)
- Aug — Oct 2024Hardware Technical AssistantEthiopian Statistical Service
- Jun 2021 — Sep 2023IT AssistantThe Children’s Heart Fund of Ethiopia — Cardiac Center
፬Education · ትምህርት
From 4 Kilo to Education City
Carnegie Mellon University
School of Computer Science · B.S. in Computer Science
2026 — 2030 (expected) · Education City, Doha, Qatar
Now taking · Fall 2026
99-102Core@CMU21-120Differential and Integral Calculus07-129Freshmen Immigration Course15-112Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science21-108Introduction to Mathematical Concepts76-100Reading and Writing in an Academic Context
KUESSC — Menelik I Science Shared Campus
Kotebe University of Education · STEM high school
2021 — 2025 · 4 Kilo, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Specialized STEM boarding school with a 7% acceptance rate, reserved for the top 2% of national exam scorers.
- Full four-year merit scholarship for academic excellence and entrance performance.
- Graduated in the top 50 of 580,000 on the Ethiopian University Entrance Exam — with a perfect 100/100 in Physics.
፭Roots · ባህል
Rooted in Addis Ababa
I grew up in Addis Ababa — አዲስ አበባ, “new flower” — where coffee is a ceremony, the year has thirteen months and the clock starts at sunrise. Look for that culture across this site: the woven tibeb borders, the Ge’ez script and a live Ethiopian clock.
- Coffee was born hereEthiopia is widely considered the birthplace of coffee — and a ceremony is how we welcome people.
- Thirteen months of sunshineTwelve months of 30 days plus Pagume, a short 13th month. I was born in 1998 — in the Ethiopian calendar.
- An alphabet of our ownAmharic is written in Ge’ez script (ፊደል, fidel), one of Africa’s indigenous writing systems.
Right now in Addis Ababa
Live11:00ከሰዓትafternoon
መስከረም ፳ ፳፻፲፱
Meskerem 20, 2019 E.C.Wednesday, 30 September 2026Western time 5:00 PM
The Ethiopian day begins at sunrise, so 7:00 AM is “1 o’clock”. Addis Ababa and Doha share a time zone (UTC+3).
መልካም አዲስ ዓመት! Happy Ethiopian New Year 2019 — it began on Meskerem 1.
SCS AirwaysBoarding pass
ADDAddis Ababa
DOHDoha · Education City
- Passenger
- Berhanu/Liyu
- Flight
- CS 2030
- Departed
- Fall 2026
- Gate
- SCS
- Seat
- 15-112
- Distance
- ≈ 2,260 km
Class of2030
UTC+3 → UTC+3
zero jet lag
zero jet lag
፮For the curious
Ask my terminal
Prefer the command line? Type help — or try buna, selam and time.
Welcome to liyu@cmu-q — ሰላም!
Type help to see what I can do, or tap a command below.
፯Contact · ያግኙኝ
Let’s build something that matters.
I’m open to research, internship and project opportunities in security & privacy, embedded systems and AI — and always happy to talk about Ethiopian culture over a cup of buna.