Rosie Anolani Alegado PhD

Rosie Anolani Alegado was born and raised in Kaiwiula Oahu and lives with her family in Āhuimanu, Kahaluu. She is an Assistant Professor of Oceanography and Sea Grant at UH Manoa where she is Director for the Center of Excellence in Integrated Knowledge Systems and a member of the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education. Rosie completed her postdoctoral work in evolutionary biology at UC Berkeley and holds a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Stanford and a BS in Biology with a minor in Environmental Health and Toxicology from MIT. Her work focuses on investigating how microbes shape the adaptive potential of their ecosystem across a broad range of biological and temporal scales. In partnership with Paepae o Heeia, her group has tracked the influence of restoration, storms, and multi-annual climate patterns on the health of Heeia Fishpond since 2014.

Together with the non-profit Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo and Hawaii Sea Grant, she is involved in developing kūlana noiʻi, a process wherein researchers build and sustain equitable partnerships with the community. She is deeply committed to increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM and is the Director of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology Maile Mentoring Bridge Program, providing individualized mentoring and peer support for undergraduates transitioning from community colleges to Mānoa. In 2018, she was confirmed to the City & County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission.