Rhodora O. Aldemita, PH.D.

Dr. Rhodora Romero- Aldemita is the Executive Director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) Inc. and the Director of ISAAA’s Global Knowledge Center on Biotechnology.  ISAAA is a not-for-profit international organization working to feed the world with knowledge through the packaging and publication of biotech information, development of science communication modalities, facilitating knowledge sharing, capacity building, and assisting domestic biotech programs. ISAAA’s partnership with like-minded organizations locally and internationally made it the most sought-after resource on biotechnology in crops and animals. Dr. Aldemita holds a Ph.D. in Botany from Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, USA and Post-doctoral Fellowship at Albert-Ludwigs University (AUF), Freiburg, Germany on Golden Rice. Dr. Aldemita has published 34 papers in scientific journals and proceedings, and chapters in two books on biotechnology. She is a member of the Technical Advisory Team of the Applied Biotechnology Committee of the DA Biotech, a board member of the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines, the editor-in-chief of the Philippine Journal of Crop Science, and a scientific reviewer of 6 scientific journals. She has served as Chief Science Research Specialist and the Biotechnology Coordinator at Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and was formerly a researcher at the International Rice Research Institute. She has been a member of the Golden Rice Project team at AUF and at PhilRice. She is a recipient of the Outstanding Young Scientist award given by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST); the NAST and Italy-based The World Academy of Science (TWAS) Science Prize in Biology; Ten Outstanding Women in the Nations’ Service from TOWNS Foundation; Most Outstanding Senior Researcher of PhilRice; Gregorio Y. Zara Award for Basic Research from the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science; Leadership Award  and Clara Y. Lim Syliangco Award from the Phil Soc for Biochemistry and Mol Biology; Honorary Fellow Award from Crop Science Society of the Philippines; Outstanding San Pableño Award from City of San Pablo; the 3rd Filipino Faces of Biotechnology Award as outstanding agricultural biotechnologist and science communicator given by DA Biotech Program Office; and the UPLB College Distinguished Award for Excellence in International Service and Cooperation during the 2020 UPLB 102nd Loyalty Day Celebration.