Prof. Rosa graduated from the University of Colombo, in 1979 with first-class honours majoring in Physics. Subsequently, he joined the Department of Physics as an Assistant Lecturer in the University of Colombo. Prof. Rosa completed Master’s in Science 1982 and continued his doctoral research on ‘Weak Branches of Radio-Isotopes’, gaining invaluable experimental expertise in Gamma-ray Spectroscopy. After completing the Ph.D, Professor Rosa returned in 1987 when the country was in turmoil, where many intellects were inclined to migrate seeking greener pastures. Upon his return to Sri Lanka, he was placed the Senior Lecturer (Grade II) in 1987 and subsequently was promoted to Senior Lecturer (Grade I) in 1997 and thereafter to Associate Professor in Physics in 2009.
Prof. Rosa was also the Head of the Department of Physics from 2006 to 2015. During his tenure as the Head, he donated his personal funds to complete the research wing of the Department. Prof. Rosa was a pioneer in establishing the master’s degree in physics education in 2006, and his international research experience in Physics Education at Open University, Milton Keynes, UK as a research associate in 2005 had largely motivated this effort.
Prof. Rosa is the current Chairman of the Atomic Energy Board of Sri Lanka and has provided the leadership to establish the very first Cyclotron Facility in Sri Lanka, enabling the production of radioisotopes on demand for medical use, mainly benefiting cancer patients of Sri Lanka. Prof. Rosa has supervised many graduate students in various fields of science and has been a popular visiting lecturer in many academic institutions over the years.
Prof. Rosa was the President of the University of Colombo Science Teachers Association (2005 – 2009). He has served as the Secretary (2006) and subsequently as the Vice President (2008) of the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA). He also was the President of the Institute of Physics
Sri Lanka for several years since 2004. Prof. Rosa also held the position of Country Coordinator of the International Physics Olympiad and pioneered the initiation of the Sri Lankan Olympiad in Physics in 2005, helping to popularize Physics in the country.