The National University of Samoa Council is pleased
to announce the appointment of NUS Associate Professor & Dean of the Faculty of Science –
Tuifuisa’a Dr. Patila Malua Amosa as its first woman Vice-Chancellor. This marks a new era for
the continued development of NUS since its establishment in 1984 when Tuifuisa’a Dr. Patila
Malua Amosa was one of the founding students.
Dr. Amosa has over 25 years of service and a wealth of experience in academic administration at
NUS with her excellent track record in teaching and research; where she has been a member of
various collaborations between NUS, regional and international partners as a researcher,
consultant, project coordinator or both.
The new Vice-Chancellor has a high profile in research; particularly in the field of climate
change with regards to impacts on aquatic systems, chemical and microbiological assessment of
water resources in Samoa as well as marine biogeochemistry, especially on leading acidification
research at NUS. She has also published quality journal articles, technical reports, book chapters,
conference papers to name a few and bringing with her an innovative and entrepreneurial
management style by collaborating both local and international research projects that will build
her staff capacity and procure resources for NUS through Edulink, PACENET Plus, PAS, SKI
and much more.
She will also provide a strategic and solutions-oriented approach that will contribute to
sustaining the University’s profile locally and internationally.
“She is described as inclusive and collaborative and she has the confidence of her staff and peers
as well as the communities that the university serves. She is also highly regarded by the NUS and
education stakeholders.
Together with NUS staff, she aims to build a resilient and robust university that can address
firstly the development challenges of Samoa. To achieve that, she will concentrate on
accelerating the recognition of NUS as a stable higher education institution in the Pacific. Key
fields such as STEM, Climate Change and Law will feature in her next 3 years tenure.
In response to national needs, she and her FOS team have developed and offered faculty
programmes such as the Master of Science (MSc), Bachelor of Science in Sustainable
Agriculture (BSc), BSc Secondary Teaching (Majors in Applied Computing & Sustainable Agriculture), Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture, Preliminary Cert. in Science, Climate Change
and Disaster Risk Management. She is also an influential dual-sector advocate (both academic
and TVET) who recognizes the value of delivering work and career ready graduates.
Associate Professor Tuifuisa’a will commence her three-year tenure as the sixth vice-chancellor
of the university and replaces Aiono Professor Alec Ekeroma who was appointed as the Director
General for the Ministry of Health late last year.
In congratulating Vice Chancellor Tuifuisa’a, NUS Pro-Chancellor – Professor Letuimanu’asina
Dr. Emma Kruse Vaai urged her to be steadfast and innovative in taking the university to the
next level to address the needs of Samoa and the Pacific Region.