USC Sea Grant Announces Dr. Almada as Associate Director
Los Angeles, CA – The University of Southern California Sea Grant Program is pleased to announce Dr. Amalia Aruda Almada as its new Associate Director.
A respected marine scientist and collaborative leader, Dr. Almada has been an integral member of the USC Sea Grant team for the past five years, advancing the program’s research, extension, and policy initiatives. Her appointment reflects USC Sea Grant’s commitment to strong leadership, meaningful partnerships, and science that serves Southern California’s coastal communities.
Dr. Almada brings a unique blend of scientific expertise, public policy experience, and collaborative leadership to the role. Throughout her career, she has worked across academia, federal ocean policy, and nonprofit organizations, building partnerships that strengthen coastal resilience, advance sustainable aquaculture and fisheries, and expand opportunities for community engagement. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
As USC Sea Grant’s new Associate Director, Dr. Almada will provide leadership across our program’s research, extension, and education initiatives, while fostering collaboration that expands the program’s impact across the region.
“USC Sea Grant has a remarkable legacy of connecting science with communities to address California’s most pressing coastal challenges,” Almada said. “I’m honored to step into this role and excited to work alongside our outstanding team and partners to build on that foundation and help position USC Sea Grant to meet the evolving challenges and opportunities facing our coasts and communities.”
Since 2023, Dr. Almada has concurrently served as Extension Leader for our program, leading extension and outreach efforts that strengthen partnerships among local researchers, industry, decision-makers, and coastal communities. During her tenure, she expanded USC Sea Grant’s seafood and sustainable aquaculture portfolio and led a successful collaborative effort to address the legacy of deep-ocean DDT contamination off the Southern California coast. As Associate Director and Extension Leader, Dr. Almada will continue leading USC Sea Grant’s coastal water quality extension efforts while further integrating USC Sea Grant’s research, education, and extension programs to accelerate the translation of science into meaningful benefits for coastal communities throughout Southern California.
“Amalia has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and an unwavering commitment to USC Sea Grant’s mission,” said Dr. Karla Heidelberg, Director of USC Sea Grant. “She has an extraordinary ability to bring together researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and community partners to solve complex coastal challenges. I am thrilled to welcome her to this leadership role and look forward to the tremendous impact she will continue to make for USC and our Urban Ocean region.”