Our board of directors is the backbone of our organization and is the key to our success. Their cultural diversity and years of experience contribute to the development of our programs that empower the most vulnerable and oppressed individuals in the world.
Susan Stasi, CEO, Rose Academies
Susan Stasi is the CEO of Rose Academies, a globally recognized humanitarian agency that is established in Uganda, Eastern Africa. Since 2014, she has spearheaded multiple campaigns that address the disparities of health and wellness of impoverished communities in an effort to empower the oppressed, vulnerable and disabled with knowledge while reducing preventable deaths of children.
A firm believer in collaboration and cooperative teamwork, her drive and determination have united multiple institutions of higher learning and community based partners in the development of innovative technologies that are changing the way we teach the illiterate, uneducated rural poor.
Ms. Stasi’s concept of a fellowship program for Uganda’s young adults has proven to be a sustainable solution for career seeking youth and an indispensable working partner for poorly supported health clinics and workers.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from San Jose State University, Magna Cum Laude, concentration on Foreign Languages and DSCTE California Teaching Credential from U.C.Berkeley.
Carol Buchser, Secretary/Treasurer, Rose Academies
Carol Buchser has been Rose Academies’ Board Secretary since its founding in 2014 and has been instrumental in the growth of our organization to an internationally recognized leader in educational programs for the vulnerable and oppressed populations found in LMICs.
Ms. Buchser has an extensive background in a diversity of sectors which include education, technology, and investor relations. She spent years teaching in the public school system that led her to a position as Associate Research Scientist at American Institutes for Research. At the Institute, she was responsible for the development of a concept of using the vocational education program as a means of advancing economic enterprise. This proposal set the standard for economic enterprise development within the vocational education program, which was eventually renamed the highly successful CTE of Career Technical Education Program. The CTE program is one of Rose Academies’ programs that encourage vocational skills development for improved economic income.
Ms. Buchser turned her skills over to the technology industry where she worked as Director of Investor Relations for five different public companies. During that time, she also served as President of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (“NIRI”). Ms. Buchser received her Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College and her Masters of Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Rahul Asthana, PhD, Vice President, Rose Academies
Rahul Asthana has years of experience in the field of technology and currently is marketing executive at Intapp, a Silicon Valley software company. Dr. Asthana not only brings his marketing expertise to Rose Academies, but he also has living experience of the challenges that exist in Sub Saharan low income countries.
Dr. Asthana was born in Ethiopia and grew up in Zambia before coming to the United States for his education at Princeton University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Having grown up in Africa, Dr. Asthana has seen first-hand many of the problems Rose Academies addresses with its innovative and determined approach. He is passionate about Rose Academies’ mission to better the lives of people by empowering with knowledge.
Andrea Diarte, MPH
Andrea Diarte is a recent Master of Public Health graduate of Texas A&M School of Public Health, obtaining her degree in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences. Additionally, she received her BS in Public Health from Texas A&M University. During her Master’s she completed a practicum experience on Cervical Cancer conducted with Rose Academies. Her efforts have helped set the foundation for our program to educate rural women about the HPV virus, increase vaccination and improve knowledge of how cervical cancer can be treated and cured with early detection. She is a firm believer that Rose Academies’ dedication to health education and the organization’s mission will save lives and improve the quality of life for many.
Michele Parker, PhD
Dr. Parker is the Assistant Director of the Public Health Program at Santa Clara University, and an adjunct lecturer. She received her BS in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego and her Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on cross-disciplinary solutions for global health problems and collaborates with teams in the School of Engineering to bring health education, low-cost medical technology, and mental health awareness to marginalized communities in regions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Monica Metzger, MS, Senior Technical Development Manager
Monica Metzger is a graduate of Santa Clara University where she received her Masters in Computer Science and Engineering. Ms. Metzger has been contributing to the ROSE library of educational training tools for the last few years, including Healthy Future Application Program and the ROSE IIAB Multimedia System. We are delighted to welcome Ms. Metzger to our board as she continues to add innovative products to our inventory of educational resources.
Jeannie Mahan
Jeannie Mahan joins the Rose Board bringing a ton of experience in the teaching field. Ms. Mahan is a Santa Clara native and has a lengthy history of contributing to the community. She taught school in Santa Clara for 35 years and for the last 5 was principal at St. Justin’s Catholic School. Her wealth of experience in education will be instrumental as we continue to grow our programs designed and developed to teach the rural poor.
Kerry Gibson, MBA, Director of Disability & Inclusion, Rose Academies
Kerry Gibson is the President of EcoCentury Technologies, a Canadian engineering and consulting firm that promotes clean technologies,Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for ZiphyCare and Partnerships Manager for N-EAT EAT (Nutrition through Engagement and Agricultural Technologies) under Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of the Environment.
Ms. Gibson is a recent MBA graduate with distinction from the University of Canada West. This amazing young woman is incredibly busy holding several key administrative positions in industry yet continues to advocate for economic development, clean tech innovation, labor rights, diversity and inclusion all of which have led to many well deserved awards and recognition for her efforts.
Ellena Andoniou, MSc, MPH, PhD
Dr. Andoniou, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, has strong leadership skills, is an exceptional creative thinker and innovative writer that has been responsible for the acquisition of multiple grants at Western University.
Her experience working professionally with leading minds across disciplines and sectors has resulted in the successful development, planning and implementation of multiple in-field projects at the local, national, and global level.
Her skills as a researcher and experience in quantitative and qualitative design are welcomed attributes to the Rose Team.
Sydney Melton, Global Youth Ambassador, Rose Academies
Ms. Melton is a public health graduate student at Texas A&M University and is currently working on her Masters. This young woman is amazing as she demonstrates drive and determination to achieve her objectives as she faces the daily challenge of living with cerebral palsy. We are excited to welcome Ms. Melton to our team.
Clare Ainomugisha, Program Director, Rose Academies-Uganda
Ms. Ainomugisha has over 14 years of customer service, business operations and program management. She has a background in community development and journalism which are keys to her success in working in the field of NGO public relations.
As Rose Academies-Uganda’s Program Director, she is responsible for program management, public relations, and staff coordination of our educational programs. Under her direction, she has developed our Rose Uganda Fellowship Program into a recognized provider of critical healthcare education.
She works with high level dignitaries at the government level as well as international working partners. Her experience with the indigenous community is instrumental in programs developed to improve education and healthcare access for the rural populations of Uganda.