Mikale is majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and his research interests include public health, infectious disease, and gut microbiome. He was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in Denver, Colorado. His academic interests are currently in global health, health economics and epidemiology, and he likes to travel, play sports, and read. Mikale's current goal after receiving his bachelor’s degree is to pursue training in advanced practice nursing and in various areas of public health.
Mikale's graduate mentor is Itza Beltran. His faculty mentors are Christopher Lowry and Carlos Franco-Paredes.