Te Pānui Taura

This issue: Supervisor of the Year, Otago poets praised at international awards, Marsden Grants announced and much more!!

This month:

Scholarships provide ‘amazing’ opportunities

This year’s MacGibbon Fellows may have different research topics, but their experiences of the US travel scholarship can all described the same – amazing.

Otago poets praised at international awards

Two Otago alumni have won awards in the prestigious Laurel Prize for poetry.

Hippie economist cruising into early retirement

When a former Otago lecturer recently popped by campus after many years abroad, she was so cheered by the familiar vision of a fast-rolling economist that she promptly reported her sighting to a friend.

“I saw Jesus in jandals today. He’s still around. He was skateboarding through campus.”

Plus

Ngā Tauira o te Kete Aronui turns 10

PhD candidate wins Early Career Researcher award

Supervisor of the Year

Toroa switching back

Good sports and top gear at Unipol

Writer 2024 results

Marsden Grants

VC sponsors scholarships

Calendar

Ngā Tauira o te Kete Aronui turns 10

It was a chance to look back and a chance to grow as the Humanities Division’s Māori student association celebrated a special milestone this month.

Tauira past and present gathered at Auahi Ora to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ngā Tauira o te Kete Aronui (NTKA). Presidents from throughout the association’s 10-year history were present, as were a considerable number of the hundreds of students estimated to have used their services across that timeframe.

One tauira who has seen the group blossom is celebration organiser and current NTKA president Porourangi Templeton-Reedy. The PhD student was in his second year of undergraduate study when the Humanities Māori Students Association was established in 2014. He became the president in 2016 and has returned to the role again in 2024.

Reflecting on the past 10 years, Porourangi says there

were several Māori student associations that had blossomed at the University, including Medicine, Law, Dentistry, Commerce and Science. The time had come for tauira Māori from Humanities to have their own representation.

“Because of the work of Gianna (Leoni) and Marcelle (Wharerau) and others on the first executive, they created a constitution, they ran different kaupapa throughout the year – such as study nights and whakawhanaungatanga – and also held reo classes to help strengthen that te ao Māori space,” he says.

From there the association grew, and in 2019 the group adopted a new ikoa Māori – Ngā Tauira o te Kete Aronui – as well as a new tohu symbolising the efforts of tauira working towards, and acknowledging the completion of, their achievements. Porourangi says there are plenty of positive moments to reflect on, but having representation for

Humanities is particularly poignant.

“I would say our Māori student associations live within the Te Rōpū Māori universe, and each association has a different story within that universe.

“When we’re so involved within Humanities, it’s great to connect and get a fresh perspective to hear how other Māori students do things at the University.”

There will be plenty more to celebrate in the new year, when NTKA opens its own dedicated space within the renovated Arts Building.

The space is the realisation of a year’s work in partnership with a number of groups, including Humanities kaiāwhina Marie Tutbury, Porourangi says.

“We are very excited about having a dedicated physical space for our tauira Māori to call home, and for us to see the group go from strength to strength.”

PhD candidate wins Early

Otago neuroscience doctoral candidate Shivankar Nair’s research into improving recovery from stroke has been internationally recognised. Shivankar was awarded the Best Oral Presentation on Non-Communicable Diseases by an Early Career Researcher at the 2024 Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium.

This flagship event, hosted annually by Fiji National University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, brought together around 300 health researchers and policymakers from across the Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand, addressing pressing health challenges such as communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health and health policy issues.

The symposium also proposed some

collaborative solutions for Fiji’s current HIV epidemic.

Shivankar is in his final year of PhD studies and is supervised by Associate Professors Ailsa McGregor and Alesha Smith at the School of Pharmacy.

His research investigates how commonly used medications influence long term functional status after stroke.

Using health administrative data, he has consistently shown that Pacific peoples experience stroke rates at younger age and have poorer outcomes than NZ Europeans.

Shivankar, a proud born-and-bred Fijian, was thrilled to have his work recognised by his peers back at home.

“It was an honour to present my re-

Career Researcher Award

search alongside leading Pacific health professionals, researchers and policy makers from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, all working together to find solutions to the major health burdens facing the Pacific today,” he said.

His passion for stroke research is deeply personal, sparked by his father’s experience with a debilitating stroke. A former Member of Parliament in Fiji, his father faced long-term impacts from the stroke, driving Shivankar’s commitment to improving outcomes for stroke survivors.

“There is no cure for stroke yet, so it’s essential for us to maximise the effectiveness of treatment strategies we already have,” Shivankar says.

“By developing clearer prescribing guidelines and improving prescribing practices, we

can better stroke recovery, reduce the economic burden on healthcare systems, and offer valueable guidance to clinicians in both New Zealand and the Pacific.”

Shivankar holds several leadership roles within the School of Pharmacy, including as a postgraduate student representative on the research, health and safety, and social and wellbeing committees. He also played a key role in founding the Otago Neuroscience Students Association, serving as its president in 2023.

Shivankar is committed to continuing his work in Pacific health research, fostering collaborations, and contributing towards finding solutions for some of the region’s most significant health challenges.

Kōrero by Claire Grant, Communications Advisor, School of Biomedical Sciences

Scholarship provides ‘amazing’ opportunities

This year’s MacGibbon Fellows may have different research topics, but their experiences of the US travel scholarship can all described the same – amazing.

Helena Abolins-Thompson, William Wun Tha Aye, Jasjot Maggo and Sara Crellin are the latest beneficiaries of the travel funding opportunity which is open to any PhD candidate studying human or animal vectors affecting human health, including Doctor of Clinical Dentistry tauira, who want to undertake research in the USA.

Health Sciences Research and Development Manager Dr Michele Coleman congratulates this year’s MacGibbon Fellows. Recipients receive up to NZD$18,000-20,000 each towards spending two to six months studying in America.

“They get access to data, research facilities, other researchers in their fields, as well as training opportunities they might not have been able to access in New Zealand,” Michele says.

“Not only does this open the door to doing postdoctoral work in the US, but the experience itself is exciting and one I would hugely encourage eligible candidates to apply for”.

This Fellowship is made possible by funding organised by the Alumni of the University of Otago in America Incorporated. For details on applying to the latest funding round.

More information here: The MacGibbon PhD travel fellowship

Helena Abolins-Thompson – Department of Surgery and Anaesthesia, Wellington

The end of March to the start of August was a whirlwind of excitement and productivity for PhD candidate Helena Abolins-Thompson. Under the guidance of her supervisors Dr Kirsty Danielson, Dr Claire Henry, Dr Megan Leask and Dr Bridget Simonson (USA), she visited the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts as part of their Cardiovascular Disease Initiative.

“The purpose behind this was to learn new techniques such as single cell RNA sequencing of samples that are traditionally difficult to work with,” Helena says.

“My cancer single cell RNA sequencing went very well, and I got some good data and learnt lots of new techniques as part of this process.

“I even had opportunities to develop in terms of some wet-lab techniques that we do not have access to at the Wellington campus and learnt a wealth of information on the computational biology side of my work which I thoroughly enjoyed.”

Helena was also able to incorporate tikanga Māori into her USA work which she hopes will serve as a new perspective for the Institute.

The research produced from her time overseas is awaiting its final revision before being published.

Helena says she enjoyed the trip immensely and is so grateful to the alumni for helping fund her trip to Boston.

William Wun Tha Aye – Department of Medicine, Christchurch

William found himself enjoying more than just the coffee during his six-monthlong research trip to the Massachusetts

General Hospital’s Athinoula A. Martinos Centre for Biomedical Imaging.

At the Martinos Centre, he had the opportunity to work on the’ Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium: Down Syndrome (ABCDS)’. A large-scale multicentre study rich with data and aimed at improving the quality of life of those with Down Syndrome - a heavily under-represented cohort in medicinal research says Will.

See full story here.

Clockwise, from top left: Dr Jessie Fu, Will Aye, Dr Charlie Chen and Arun Garimella from the Price Lab who mentored and supported Will during his stay in Boston; Sara Crellin and the Brain Stimulation Lab group from the Department of Behavioural Sciences and Psychiatry at Stanford University; Helena Abolins-Thompson at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Jasjot Maggo at Digestive Disease Week in Washington DC 2024.

Supervisor of the

Dr Dave McMorran has podcast which features Geology

Supervisor of Year 2024 winers and finalists, back row, left to right, Humanities Divisional Winner Dr Dan Osland, Humanities sor Hugh Campbell on behalf of Humanities Divisional finalist Associate Professor Karyn Paringatai, Sciences Divisional finalist Representative Hanna Friedlander and Deputy-Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise Professor Richard Blaikie. Front ist Associate Professor Azam Ali, Commerce Divisional finalist Professor Hazel Tucker, Sciences Divisional Winner Dr Matt Monks, Professor Rachael Taylor on behalf of Health Sciences Divisional finalist and Best New Supervisor of the Year Dr Andrew and Overall Winner Supervisor of the Year Dr Jeff Foote, Commerce Divisional finalist Professor Neil Carr and Graduate Research Ruwhiu.

the year

has just recorded his 266th Geology PhD student Julien

Humanities (Interim) Pro-Vice-Chancellor Profesfinalist Dr Meredith Peddie, OUSA Postgraduate row, from left, Health Sciences Divisional finalMatt Larcombe, Sciences Divisional finalist Dr Jo Andrew Reynolds, Commerce Divisional Winner Research School Dean Associate Professor Diane

Dr Jeff Foote, of the Department of Management, has won the Otago University Students’ Association Overall Supervisor of the Year Award for 2024, with nominees describing him as excellent, dedicated and empowering.

It is the second year in a row the Overall Supervisor of the Year award has gone to the Division of Commerce, with Associate Professor Julia Albrecht, of the Department of Tourism, winning the award in 2023.

The Supervisor of the Year 2024 award ceremony was held on Thursday afternoon. The annual event, run by OUSA and the Graduate Research School, is held to celebrate Otago’s top supervisors who are nominated anonymously by students.

The other major award – Best New Supervisor of the Year - went to Dr Andrew Reynolds, of the Division of Health Sciences. Awards also go to Divisional winners, as well as two Divisional finalists.

Here are a few comments from students who nominated Dr Jeff Foote:

“Jeff is an excellent supervisor; he goes out of his way to ensure I have the personal and professional support needed to succeed in all aspects of my study.”

“He has put more effort into developing his understanding of Te Ao Māori than any other Pākehā staff member I have come across. Jeff has empowered me, for which I will always be grateful.”

“Choosing Jeff as a doctoral supervisor means selecting a mentor dedicated to personal and academic growth. His qualities ensure that your doctoral journey is not just a project but a life-changing experience.”

See full story here.

Otago poets praised at prestigious International awards

Two University of Otago alumni have won awards in the prestigious Laurel Prize for poetry.

Established by UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, the Laurel Prize honours the best collections of nature or environmental poetry published each year. This year’s prize was judged by renowned poets Mona Arshi (Chair), Caroline Bird and Kwame Dawes.

Robyn Maree Pickens, who recently completed a PhD on reparative ecopoetics at Otago, was awarded third place for her collection, Tung. The judges praised Robyn’s work as “an

antidote to apathy”, highlighting that it “doesn’t just use language to reflect the world, the language is the world”.

“The language melts, the language erodes and grows and shimmers with unexpected glory. Even statistics and temperatures written down become something bodily that can be felt within the body and within the bodies of the poems themselves. Nothing is other or distant. We have atmospheric rivers in our knees, we have them in the corners of our mouths, and a human is

a hole for the sun and a ball of breath for the trees, and reading is experiential like the elements.”

Megan Kitching, also an Otago alumna and former staff member in the English Department, received the Best International First Collection award for At the Point of Seeing. The judges commended her collection for “its lively and inquisitive engagement with the natural world”, noting that “her lyric sensibility and her acutely captured sense of place are the strongest features of this remarkable first book”.

At the Point of Seeing also won the Jesse Mackay Award for Best First Book in the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards earlier this year. Both collections were published in 2023 by Otago University Press.

*Otago University Press and the Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature will co-host an author talk about eco-poetry and poetry reading evening with Robyn and Megan, 5.30pm on Friday 29 November at the Dunningham Suite in the Dunedin Public Library - further details.

Toroa switching back

Toroa College is going back to the future next year – instead of accommodating mostly first-year students it will house mainly self-catering international students as it did when opened almost 30 years ago.

The change comes as the University embarks in earnest on the global and connected domain of its Pae Tata Strategic Plan to 2030 which has ambitious goals including significant growth in international student enrolments, Chief Operating Officer Stephen Willis says.

International students coming to Otago are increasingly postgraduate students and many are keen to live in University-provided residential accommodation but want a different experience than recent school-leavers.

At Toroa, they will have more independence and a social hub to foster a sense of community – the college already houses

about 25 students successfully this way. If any Toroa residents want a catered option, they will dine at Carrington College, Stephen says.

Because the University’s new Te Rangihīroa College opened this year and Arana College will reopen next year after upgrades, the University has about 320 additional college beds for 2025. This means Toroa’s 120 places can be made available for more senior international students and postgraduates while still allowing 200 growth in first-year student numbers in conventional colleges.

Fofoa Accommodation Award Pacific will continue to live at Toroa as well and are already self-catering.

This change does not involve any job losses, staff will be redeployed, including those who helped provide daily meals for Toroa students at the University Union, Stephen says.

Director, International Jason Cushen believes Toroa will be attractive to a proportion of the international student market whose needs the University currently does not meet.

While much work has gone into identifying the markets key to recruiting 20 per cent more international students under Pae Tata, successfully recruiting students also depends on the living arrangements and out-of-class experiences on offer.

“Part of that is thinking carefully about the accommodation options we provide. This includes some different accommodation options to those we currently provide,” Jason says.

Toroa will be led in 2025 by current Deputy Warden Stewart Noguer Blue, who will still live on site. Current Toroa College Warden Christina Watson-Mills will be seconded to lead Caroline Freeman College when that role becomes vacant in January 2025, Stephen says.

“I saw Jesus in jandals today. He’s still around. He was skateboarding through campus.”

Hippie economist cruising into early retirement

The kinetic academic in question was Professor Paul Hansen, Department of Economics, and this description of him speaks volumes about the spirited way he’s inhabited his 36-year teaching career.

As Paul calls time on his lecturing duties to take early retirement, we take stock of his abiding passion for economics –a subject that claimed him in his early teens.

“At the age of 14, I fell in love with economics and surfing. I thought economics was so amazing – it was a lens on the world. My whole life has re-

volved around those two things. Marriages have come and gone but economics and surfing have stayed with me.”

His early economics eagerness didn’t go unnoticed. In the 1983 Bayfield High School yearbook, Paul’s peers listed his likely future job as ‘Professor of Economics’ (they also picked the blonde Scandinavian man in a 1980s Norsca deodorant television ad as his doppelganger).

Luckily, for the Department of Economics, Paul was diverted from his fantasy of pursuing a surfing career by the superior talents of a bunch of wave-wily youngsters.

“I wanted to be a surfer, so in 1985 I dropped out of uni to go to Australia and live on the Gold Coast. Within eight days I was back at Otago and enrolled in second-year economics because I saw 14-year-old girls over there who could surf better than anyone I’d seen in Dunedin. I also realised how boring surfing is without something else to do during the day.”

Economics offered him the perfect boredom-busting intellectual playground – and then some.

“I was always really interested in the big questions in life

– how we organise our society, how we decide what we want to do, how we make ourselves happy, how we look after scarce resources. Economics is everything – and it’s not about earning bucks. I mean, I happily dress in op-shop clothes and live in a corrugated-iron crib at Long Beach.”

The direction of Paul’s teaching and research over the years was heavily influenced by British-born economist Michael Cooper who established Otago’s first health economics class in 1977.

“He turned me on to health economics – and became my friend. Without him, I wouldn’t have worked here. He backed me. I was a scruffy surfer with long hair from the wrong side of town and Michael lived in Māori Hill and wore a suit, but somehow took a shine to me.”

That interest in health economics led Paul to co-found an innovative decision-making software company in 2003 called ‘1000minds’ (more on that in the forthcoming 2024 issue of He Kitenga).

Initially conceived of to improve resource allocation in the health sector, this award-winning software soon proved clever enough to handle decision-making needs across multiple fields. Its list of clients is immense.

Once he leaves the Otago Business School, Paul will continue to problem-solve with 1000minds clients – in between catching waves – thanks to a Zoom-enabling Starlink satellite on his beachside roof.

“It’s the first time in human history that you can be both a hippie dropout and a global citizen.”

He’ll miss teaching though. The best bit?

“Those times when you share an idea and someone leans forward.”

Dr Trudy Sullivan, Associate Professor and Health Economist, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, was one such forward-leaner.“Paul was my lecturer in ECON306, skateboarding into the lecture in a Hawaiian shirt. He cares deeply – about what he does, about life, and especially for people. He goes the extra mile for his students, colleagues and friends – nothing is a bother. He is passionate about what he does and what he believes in and brings colour into a room – both literally and in his boisterous, enthusiastic way.”

Aleisha Lord, Teaching Fellow in the Department of Economics, concurs.

“Paul was my Economics lecturer back in 2015. At the time, ECON271 was feared by students for being a rather tough, technical course. I was very anxious about taking the paper, but meeting Paul and experiencing his gift for teaching helped change my attitude to learning over that semester. His warmth, enthusiasm and support lit up even the scariest topics and equations.

“The man is a legend.”

Kōrero by Claire Finlayson, Communications Adviser (Otago Business School)

Good sports and top gear at Unipol

What do marquees, giant Jenga, sleeping bags, skis, bodyboards, cornhole and head torches all have in common?

If you don’t know the answer, you might want to think about a visit to Unipol Recreation.

As well as exercise spaces, drop-in-andplay courts, games and social areas, there is also an outdoor rental centre that offers a wide variety of outdoor recreational equipment for use on the slopes, at the beach, in the bush or on the sports field.

Unipol Marketing and Sustainability

Leader Chris MacDonell says the range of services and equipment on offer constantly surprises people.

“We keep adding equipment to the Outdoor Rental Centre as we see the need. At the beginning of this year we purchased mountain bikes, which gives students access to trails and cycleways right on our doorstep – in particular The Big Easy on Signal Hill and the Otago Harbour Cycleway.

“The range of gear for rent has broad-

ened and it’s a great example of sustainable practice, which we are very proud of.”

Ski season is always busy with the Centre able to fit and provide skiers and boarders with everything they need for the slopes – at student friendly prices.

Coming into the warmer months, demand is expected to pick up for aquatic gear, but also for rentals of the University-owned Trotters Gorge Hut, she says.

“It’s a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of campus life, head back to nature and enjoy relaxing in the outdoors. The area offers numerous bush walks and abundant bird life.”

And even better, it’s only $6 a night for Otago students and a one-hour drive from campus.

The staff works hard to ensure the whole of Unipol is welcoming for students and celebrate the fact that difference is what everyone has in common, Chris says.

“Unipol is a safe space where everyone is welcome to drop in with their tertiary ID card and have some fun participating in a

range of recreational activities. Recreation is different for everyone, and we aim to foster that notion.”

Staff recognised that booming music and pumping weights might not be everyone’s cup of tea, so at the end of semester 1, a quieter, calmer exercise space was created.

“This space includes equipment that is lighter, quieter and ‘friendlier’ in nature. The area is a great environment for a more chilled experience and has proven to be popular.”

Phase two of the development is coming shortly with implementation of ‘dinky’ activity stations, she says.

Unipol adopts a wayfinding approach as its kaupapa. Through wayfinding, staff are aware of the needs of students and adapt the facility layouts and programmes to continuously meet changing student activity. This is an active approach to manaakitanga, or student care, and fostering whanaungatanga, or a sense of belonging.

Kōrero by Laura Hewson

Don’t miss all your postgrad news online:

Writer 2024 results Marsden Grants

A poignant poem which takes the reader through the residential Red Zone after the Christchurch earthquakes has won the student poetry section of Writer 2024, the University’s annual creative writing competition.

George Gearry, who is in the final year of his BA majoring in Psychology and English, was inspired to write “It’s all grass now” after watching a music video for “Bug Eyed” by this dog, one of his favourite Ōtautahi bands.

See full story here.

An early childhood programme designed to set children up for academic achievement and future wellbeing has received a $3 million funding boost from Te Pūtea Rangahau a Marsden, the Marsden Fund.

Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start study) is an interdisciplinary study co-led by Professor Elaine Reese of the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Professor Justin O’Sullivan of Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, and Professor Vincent Reid of Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato University of Waikato. It aims to measure the later impact of enriched oral language – in English and te reo Māori – and self-regulation programmes in early learning settings.

See full story here.

New scholarships Anna High’s win

The University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has increased financial support for students in the coming year, with more scholarships and continued investment in relief funds.

The support provided in 2025 will include an investment of $45 million in scholarships, while close to $500,000 is committed to the Pūtea Tautoko financial aid fund and the Residential College Relief Fund.

More than 200 students have already been supported from these relief funds in 2024, with further student support being provided through OUSA’s hardship relief fund for immediate low-level assistance.

See full story here.

The recipient of an illustrious Otago award has been described as “bold” and “groundbreaking” in her research.

Associate Professor Anna High has received the 2024 Rowheath Trust Award and Carl Smith Medal - awarded to early career staff who demonstrate outstanding scholarly achievement that enhances the understanding, development and wellbeing of individuals and society.

Since joining Otago’s Faculty of Law in late 2017, Anna has established herself as an expert in evidence law, criminal law, feminist theory/sexual violence, Chinese law and socio-legal research methods.

See full story here.