Ngā Tohu Kairangi o Wairaka 2019

It’s that time of year when we recognise and celebrate the amazing work that our people have contributed to Unitec. There are eight categories, providing the opportunity for people across the business to be recognised.

Congratulations to all our finalists, and everyone who was nominated. Thanks to everyone who took the time to nominate a colleague or team.

Check out the Nest post to read the list of winners, or watch the short video to view names and photos of our winners.

Click here for a list of all nominees.

Our finalists:

Excellence in Teaching

Cristiaan de Groot – Senior Academic Leader, Creative Industries
Cris has been teaching at Unitec for 15 years and is known for continually creating connections across the institute and the design industry, brokering multi-stakeholder collaboration projects and giving students interesting, real-life application projects to work on in class. He has overseen a host of award-winning design projects and is recognised as an expert within the wider industry who always looks for ways to contribute to shared learning and development.

Diane Fraser – Senior Lecturer, Environmental and Animal Sciences
Diane’s focus on preparing students for the workforce has led to undergraduate students collaborating with the biodiversity industry on research projects. One student said: “Her approach was to help us get underway and enabled us to take the lead of the project implementation, analysis and results as we gained confidence… She was available to talk us through problems but encouraged us to find solutions.”

Kristie Cameron – Lecturer, Environmental and Animal Sciences
Kristie has implemented a wide variety of student-centred teaching practice into her day-to-day teaching, incorporating gamification such as Kahoot! Quizzes and other digital teaching tools to engage students in their work. Feedback from her students shows Kristie teaches in a fun and engaging way. She’s committed to her own development, undertaking a badge while on maternity leave and attending this year’s Learning and Teaching Symposium.

Margaret Evans – Academic Development Lecturer, Learning and Achievement
Margaret sees learners as individuals; she cares about their lives and prior learning experiences. She is great at breaking down big challenges, such as a looming must-pass exam, into manageable chunks. One colleague said “Margaret has a wealth of knowledge regarding careers and the requirements for these pathways, is great at researching between the lines and ensuring students know the prerequisites and are on track for success”.

Roger Birchmore – Senior Lecturer, Building Construction
Roger receives consistently high course and lecturer evaluations. He has an amazing talent for providing clarity and certainty to everything he communicates to students and colleagues. He champions Quality Assurance processes for his school, running workshops for new and existing staff and is a member of the Unitec Rōpu and the Unitec Research Committee. His expertise and input is also valued by other institutions, with his selection as a moderator for the inaugural Bachelor of Construction at ARA.

Excellence in Early Career Teaching

Paula Bold-Wilson – Lecturer, Healthcare and Social Practice
Paula’s life and work is driven by a passion for kaupapa Māori, and for the social justice values of Social Practice. She applies creative and participative teaching-learning strategies and maintains mana-enhancing relationships with her students. In her role as Matauranga Māori champion Paula encourages the teaching team to focus on students’ strengths and aspirations.

Sharon Sitters – Lecturer, Healthcare and Social Practice
In the two Medical Imaging papers she teaches, Sharon has changed the delivery approach from one that was teacher-directed, to one that is more interactive and engaging for students. She’s helped students to develop key skills that will support them in the clinical environment and as practitioners once they graduate.

Tina Martin – Lecturer, Building Construction
Tina has been at the centre of a new pastoral care system being piloted within Building Construction, where she’s assisted the Peer Assistant Student Support (PASS) leaders to work in principles of Tuākana/Teina. She’s also developed strong capability in a wide range of subject areas and software systems in a short time.

Zahid Hamid – Lecturer, Engineering and Applied Technology
In his first year teaching the Engineering Diploma, Zahid’s students rated their experience as an amazing 9.1 out of 10. One student said he encouraged other students to take one of Zahid’s courses because “the lecturer is fun, kind, passionate, amazing and teaches really well.”

Excellence in Teaching – Kaupapa Māori

Bachelor of Early Childhood Education teaching team of Helen Wrightson, Yo Heta-Lensen, Pauline Bishop, Rangi Nathan, Kiri Neho, Carla Keighron, Lee-Anne Turton, Yvonne Culbreath, Rose Penn, Amanda Perry, Lata Rana and Evangeline Tan
The Bachelor of Teaching Early Childhood team is committed to delivering a curriculum that is underpinned by Kaupapa Māori philosophy. This creates space for Māori to achieve success as Māori, evident in their student success figures. In both 2017 and 2018, Māori students had a higher course success rate than non-Māori students.

Excellence in Research

Min Hall – Lecturer, Architecture
Min Hall’s Straw into Gold project, for which she won a 2019 Early Career Researcher grant, explores the possibilities of using home-grown building materials (timber and straw) to address the critical issue of climate change. Min has continually engaged with industry and addresses two of the major issues currently facing Aotearoa NZ: a serious housing shortage and climate change.

Rau Hoskins – Lecturer/Māori Studio Director, Architecture and Lecturer, Tūāpapa Rangahau
Rau’s research focuses on the development and application of the Te Aranga Māori Design Principles, working alongside mana whenua on a range of high-profile urban design projects. Rau provides significant leadership in the fields of Māori architecture, architectural education and housing, and Māori professional development in general.

Excellence in Innovation and Enterprise

Bob Stewardson – Insights Business Partner, Marketing and Student Attraction
Bob’s market and student research has been key to a massive change in our understanding of how our students and the community see us. His research has provided data to underpin a new approach to how we connect with our stakeholders. Most valuable has been his approach to data-driven decision making, ensuring we listen to what the data is telling us, and also appreciated is the time he gives to explore ideas with anyone who needs his input.

Chantelle Daniels – Operations Manager, Operations
Chantelle led the full review and refresh of our Admissions, Enrolment and Fees Policy. This has led to the development of streamlined, user-friendly documentation that separates policy from procedural work.

Industry Partnerships team of Heather Stonyer, Melinda Chuo, Sue-Ann Wang and Shani Sauerman
The Team has transitioned a manual based reporting system onto a software platform for the School of Building Construction, to inform and enable decision making in; Programme Portfolio relevance, capturing graduate employment, and industry engagement to inform course content. Other key achievements include creating a Linked In network for Alumni and Stakeholder engagement, supporting and leading change through programme portfolio development such as Kainga Ora, and demonstrating continuous improvement and increased quality through surveys, events, industry awards and scholarships and representation on industry advisory committees.

Kait O’Callahan – Medical Imaging Clinical Coordinator, Healthcare and Social Practice
Kait goes out of her way to support and advocate for student well-being, pastoral care, success and achievement. She has introduced a number of innovative changes including Year 1 peer mentoring, and redesigning the clinical assessment process.

‘Redefining Stories’ Student Success project team of Venusi Taumoepeau, Aanoalii (Rowena) Fuluifaga, Donna Cavell, Melinda Jenkins and Ruth Marsters
The team created six 90-second videos where they filmed students telling stories of how Student Success Services supported them, devising and conveying an authentic way to represent our services.

Vivienne Merito, Director Marketing and Student Attraction
Alongside building a new Marketing team almost from scratch this year, Viv has introduced a new way of working for the Marketing team backed by insights and data, and working with internal stakeholders to build trust.

Excellence in Support

Ashutosh Basnyat – Student Support Advisor, Student Success
Ash goes beyond the call of duty to secure positive outcomes for our students. He works tirelessly to help our Youth Guarantee (age 16-19) students navigate the tertiary education experience, and has developed strong trusting relationship with students, their families and other staff. Ash received five nominations!

Cynthia Almeida – Postgraduate Academic Administrator, Tūapapa Rangahau
Supporting programme leaders and our high-level postgraduate students, Cynthia operates with a balance of calm, warmth and professionalism. For over 25 years, Cynthia’s depth of knowledge of processes and regulations has ensured the quality and timeliness of assessments.

Darlene Cameron – Academic Development Lecturer Māori, Student Success
Darlene directly supports Māori students through Te Noho Kotahitanga, bringing tremendous energy and aroha to the Maia team. She has initiated several initiatives this year including a Māori assignment writing retreat.

Frank Reinhold – Maintenance Officer, Facilities Management
Always with his signature smile, Frank keeps thing ticking over on campus. He’s dedicated to ensuring classrooms are prepared and safe, systems and processes are adhered to, and staff are supported in every way.

Gail van Veen – Access Advisor, Student Success
Gail, a long-standing employee, is the ‘go-to with the know-how’, who makes every student feel that enroling at Unitec was their best decision ever. She tailors support to students depending on their impairment and works alongside staff to find solutions to problems.

Nirmala D’Souza – Senior Administrator, Operations
As well as expertly managing her workload, Nirmala has worked tirelessly to gather staff to mentor and network with our international students. She also helped to organise the Diwali celebrations and provides meditation sessions for staff in her own time.

Te Noho Kotahitanga Team Award

Learning and Achievement team of Aanoalii (Rowena) Fuluifaga, Susan Eady, Brigette Shutkowski, Helen Luka, Donna Cavell, Donna Salmon, Dipti Vora, Adrian Jenkins, Sana Saleem, Norasieh Md Amim, Dianna Bluck, Deb Crossan, Elizabeth Morris, Margi Grey, Caroline Malthus, Margaret Evans, Cat Mitchell, Hua Dai, Cindy Wee, Darlene Cameron, Ioane Aleke Fa’avae, Diane Tamati, Venusi Taumoepeau, Ruth Laing, Nina Pelling, Lance Laulala, Daisy Bentley-Gray, Gail van Veen, Denise McIntyre, Kristina Iuli, Jane Worley, Rae Wilkin, Sinamoka Etuata, Ilaisa’ane Tuakimoana, Deborah Lynch, Sarah Grimes, Carolyn King, Connie Kristensen, Natalie Wilkinson, Peter Koren, Katy Guy, Andrea Simmons, Swapna Valaboju, Premila Premathilake, Tracy Kennedy, Ben Hamblin, Melanie Archibald, Harpreet Singh and Cheryl Astley.
Rowena and her team show respectful and authentic leadership in their communications with all staff and students, creating an inclusive environment of continuous development. The team attend or supports events and initiatives wherever possible, aiming to strengthen the possibility of success for students.

Tūāpapa Rangahau, partnering research and enterprise team of Marcus Williams, Cynthia Almeida, Marie Shannon, Arun Deo, Brenda Massey, Penelope Thomson, Gregor Steinhorn, Asher Lewis, Jacquie Reed, Hadley Brown, Asma Munir, Aki Te-evale and Helen Gremillion.
Despite reduction of budgets and a challenging environment, research at Unitec continues to flourish under the leadership of Tūāpapa Rangahau. Including topping the ITP’s in the 2018 PBRF, the team are steadfastly growing a culture of industry/community partnered, externally-funded applied research which is unique in our sector. For example, Unitec won two prestigious MBIE Endeavour Fund grants this year, totalling $4.5m value.

Unitec Pathways College of Andrea Thumath, Anaru Parangi, Beth Fitzgerald, Sarah Sommerville, Renee Peeni, Blair Sorensen, Debbie Loots and John Taufa
This team weaves together diverse groups of people to support the goals and aspirations of communities, and young people. They forge authentic relationships, are respectful and mindful, and always encourage young people to bring their full selves to Unitec.

Unitec Champion

Andrea Thumath – Director Unitec Pathways College and Students Under 25 Success
Andrea has a passion for people. Time and time again she challenges the way people think and operate when it comes to our priority groups. She leads by example, saying that “we have come too far not to do more”. Andrea never stops giving her time to our young people and has led the UPC team from strength to strength. She is a beautiful example for all staff on how to embody treaty-based partnerships and Te Noho Kotahitanga.

Annette Pitovao – Director Student Success
Annette is a fantastic Director who leads by example and with aroha. She listens to her team and supports and champions them. Annette treats everyone with respect and in return has the respect of many at Unitec. She responds to even the toughest issues with encouragement and good advice. In attending events on campus, she demonstrates her aroha for the students

Malcolm Yurak – Assets and Logistics Manager, Goods and Transport
2019 was a very busy year for Malcolm and his Moves team. With a reduced team, moving teams from one office to another was not an easy task, but with an amazing sense of humour, kindness and support, Malcolm managed to make this transition smooth and stress-free for all concerned.