Te Puna was the place to be last week, when almost 600 staff gathered last week to celebrate excellence in teaching, research and service.
Craig Goodhue – Excellence in Teaching
Twenty-two awards were presented by our Executive team to kaimahi across thirteen categories ranging from ‘Excellence in Teaching’ to ‘Innovation and Enterprise’.
Excellence in Teaching awards went to Trades lecturer Craig Goodhue, Nursing lecturer Vimlesh Shukla and the Whaikaha – Supported Learning teaching team.
The prestigious ‘Unitec Champion’ award was presented to Sue Emerson, Lead Academic Programme Manager in Community Studies, who was recognised for how she “connects at all levels of the organisation guiding our waka, uniting communities, and building capability and resilience within our people.”
Sue Emerson receives the Unitec Champion trophy from Gus Gilmore and Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
Sue was thrilled to receive the Champion award and spoke passionately to the audience. She said “A week or so ago I heard a young Maori Samoan woman called Arizona Leger give the closing address at our global IWG Women and Girls in Sport conference. She challenged us to be brave ancestors for the next generation to come. She said ‘We are brave ancestors. When thunder strikes choose to be brave, to pay back those who have gone before you by being brave. We are wayfarers; right now in education we sure are wayfarers.”
The event was also a chance to reflect on Unitec’s 44 year history, as we move to a new chapter as part of Te Pūkenga. Executive Director Gus Gilmore and Pae Ārahi Matua Hare Paniora shared some historical moments, and stories of where we’ve come from including the important development of Te Noho Kotahitanga agreement and marae.
A beautiful video also captured our people, our whenua and what it means to be Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka.
The event was hosted by MC extraordinaire, the wonderful Darlene Cameron – Te Pou Manawa, who ensured everyone felt included, welcomed and ready to celebrate.
The Student Central Team: Joint winner of Te Noho Kotahitanga Team Award and winner of Team ‘best dressed’
As well as the formal ceremony, staff enjoyed a delicious kai and dancing to the awesome sounds by DJ Pat Mose. DJ Pat ran a ‘best dressed’ competition where staff could parade their hilarious ‘Through the Decades’ costumes. Winners were:
- Individual winners: Falaniko Tominoko as Miami Vice.
- Team winners: Student Central as ‘Ghostbusters’
Thank you to everyone who came along to connect with colleages, reflect on 2022 and celebrate the many achievements at Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka over the past 44 years.
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Full list of winners below. Read about their achievements, along with all finalists on our Excellence Awards page.
Excellence in Early Career Teaching
- Maia Ratana: Lecturer – Architecture
- Sameh Shamout, Lecturer – Architecture
Excellence in Teaching
- Craig Goodhue, Lecturer – Trades and Services
- Vimlesh Shukla, Lecturer, Nursing – Healthcare
- Whaikaha – Supported Learning: Dave Hicks, Caroline Leader, Angelina Wright, Lynette Solomon, Utkarsh Sanjanwala, Mary Perich, Colleen Chong
Excellence in Teaching – Kaupapa Māori
- Dr Hinekura Smith, Interim Director – Nga Wai a Te Tui, Ngā Wai a Te Tūī
Innovation in Teaching
- Caleb Wong, Lecturer – Trades and Services
Excellence in Early Career Research
- Associate Professor Renata Jadresin-Milic – Architecture
Excellence in Research
- Associate Professor Peter de Lange – Animal and Environmental Sciences
Excellence in Support
- Bettie Warwick-Ching, Human Resources Business Partner
- Joseph Pitovao, Carpentry House Builds Project Lead
- Dr Norasieh Md Amin, Subject Librarian
Supporting Pacific Learners Award
- Jason Hallie, Lecturer – Social Practice
Outstanding Contribution by a Project Team
- Exercise Lab team: John MacFarlane; Wesley Verhoeff, Andrew Lenton, Rob Gambolati, Maja Zidov, Sarah Coutts, Malcolm Yurak, Katie Bruffy, Sue Emerson
- People and Culture – Transition to Te Pūkenga team
Innovation and Enterprise Award
- Mechanical Engineering Teaching Team
- Vivienne Merito, Director – Marketing and Communications
Sustained Outstanding Contribution to Unitec
- Aanoalii Rowena Fuluifaga, Manager – Learning and Achievement
- Associate Professor Marcus Williams, Director – Research & Enterprise
Te Noho Kotahitanga Team Award
- Accounts and Finance: Irene Lee, Sharon Fu, Natalia Moroz, Vijaya Rath, Thi Nguyen, Siphiwe Kumwenda, Abhishek Masih, Rakesh Patel, Louise Spears, Michal Chudzinski-Pawlowski, Wei Jin, Rebecca Millward, Manasi Khatkul
- Student Central: Jeffrey Wu, Chardanay Apikolo, Fatin Elier, Joe Wang, Lubna Khan, Michelle Paki, Muhammad Sajjad Haider Naqvi, Pa Tepairu Tere
Unitec Champion Award
- Sue Emerson, Lead – Academic Programme Manager, Community Studies