Joan Bray Rose

Joan B. Rose is the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research and Professor at Michigan State University (MSU), affiliated with the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. She directs the Water Alliance and co-leads the Center for Water Sciences and Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment (CAMRA). Her expertise spans water microbiology, public health safety, and microbial risk assessment. Rose holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Arizona and has pioneered global initiatives in water quality, including the Global Water Pathogens Project.

Research Interests: Rose focuses on molecular methods for pathogen surveillance, microbial source tracking, and risk assessment. Her work addresses waterborne disease outbreaks, wastewater treatment efficacy, and innovative technologies like qPCR for rapid contamination detection. She collaborates with agencies such as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on beach water testing and wastewater surveillance.

• Key Projects: Cryptosporidium detection, septic system contamination studies, and viral metagenomics in Great Lakes.
• Global Impact: Advised Singapore’s water sustainability framework and led post-Flint water crisis efforts.

Awards: 2016 Stockholm Water Prize, 2018 Milliken Award, and honorary citizenship of Singapore (2015). She chairs international task forces, including the IWA Global Water Award committee.

• Grants: Includes NSF-funded WaterCube project, EPA grants for pathogen risk mitigation, and NIH-supported QMRA initiatives.
• Labs/Teams: Water Alliance, CAMRA, and collaborations with UNESCO on global water safety.