Category: Tertiary Sector

Laine Baldwin made the brave decision to choose a different path, one that aligned more with his lifelong passion for film and television.

He was two years into an architecture degree in Auckland, when he made the switch to the University of Waikato.

“I’ve always had that little voice telling me to follow my love for film and media, so for the first time, I decided to listen to that voice,” Laine says.

“I went into architecture straight out of high school because it seemed like the most sensible decision.”

Laine transferred to Waikato and enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts in Screen and Media Studies, where he tutored students and worked with the faculty on different research projects.

“My degree cultivated existing interests and developed new ones; I would always do my best to incorporate them into my academic work.

“I’ve found being ambitious proved to be worthwhile, to learn more and be rewarded for it.”

Laine is continuing his studies at Waikato, working towards a Master in Media Creative Technologies, while working as a camera operator at TAB.

“Waikato is a beautiful campus and is very inviting – you come here, and you feel like you want to stay forever. It has a sense of belonging with great mental health support, and the relationship with your lecturers is very personal.”

He says a standout paper was Creative Media Project (MEDIA320), where he delved into the world of commuters and public transport.

“I did a three-day shoot in Auckland where I hopped on trains, buses and ferries and turned it into a short film, digital photography, cinemagraphs and in-print expeditions.”

While his sights are set on finishing his master’s, Laine’s ultimate career is to work in film and television.

His advice to future students is to “embrace flexibility, pursue your passions, and seize every opportunity that comes your way.”

International expert in queer geography, Professor Lynda Johnston, has been named Fellow Ahurei of the Royal Society Te Apārangi for her research on social and behavioural sciences.

Professor Johnston is Assistant Vice-Chancellor Sustainability, Professor of Geography at Te Wānanga o Ngā Kete (Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences) and a Research Associate at Te Ngira Institute for Population Research at the University of Waikato.

The honour recognises outstanding achievements in sciences, technology and humanities.

“I am surprised and very humbled by this honour. It would not have happened without the support from incredible colleagues and students,” Professor Johnston says.

Professor Johnston is recognised for her significant contribution to research on social and cultural geographies, in particular people’s embodied (gendered, sexualised, raced, disabled) everyday experiences of place.

A champion for the LGBTQ community, Professor Johnston’s research has transformed the way human geographers and others think about people-place relationship. She has succeeded in pioneering a new field often referred to as ‘queer geography’.

“From its beginning Geography at the University of Waikato developed Māori, historical, environmental justice and gender perspectives and it is this platform that led me to critically assess power in relation to space and place,” she says.

“My research and teaching focuses on the lived and spatial experiences of people who may be marginalised due to their gender diversity and sexuality. I’m profoundly grateful to so many wonderful colleagues I have had the pleasure to work with, and learn from, over the years.”

Nominating Fellows, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Professor Robyn Longhurst and Emeritus Professor Richard Bedford QSO, say Professor Johnston has shown a commitment to creating a fairer, more inclusive world, drawing attention to how sexism, homophobia and transphobia shape communities.

“Lynda is a world leader in queer geography. She has carried out numerous empirical projects on queer health, pride festivals, drag queen culture, queer sporting events, and tourism that provides a safe space for gender and sexually diverse people.”

Professor Johnston has delivered keynote speeches around the world, written and edited many international publications.

In 2010, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the NZ Geographical Society and in 2014 and 2019, the Janice Monk Service Award from the Association of American Geographers. These awards acknowledge the profound impact that Johnston has had on the discipline of geography and on LGBTQ communities nationally and internationally.

Professor Johnston was the President of the New Zealand Geographical Society and is the current New Zealand Representative for the International Geographical Union. She was Chair of the Gender and Geography Commission for the International Geographical Union and held editing roles, including Editor for Gender, Place and Culture: A Feminist Geography Journal.

Entries for New Zealand’s richest short-story competition, the Sargeson Prize, are open and last year’s winner is encouraging others to “go for it”.

Fiction and poetry writer Anna Woods won $10,000 in the 2023 Open Division and a two-week summer writing residency at the Sargeson Centre in Auckland with her story ‘Pig Hunting’.

“The residency was instrumental in finishing my book, Tomahawk Beach, which I’ve beenworking on since 2022,” Anna says.

“At the end of a project, most of the research is complete, and it’s the time to focus on copy editing and line editing. It’s very focused, so having a space to go to free from the usual interruptions and distractions was a real gift.”

The Sargeson Centre was filled with photos and books of previous winners, including 20 volumes of the Oxford English Dictionary, she says.

Anna says the validation she received from last year’s judge, Vincent O’Sullivan, was encouraging to her as a writer.

“It’s very easy to lose faith as a writer. I’ve been writing seriously for 10 years, it’s slow going, so this was just another marker that I was on the right journey.

“Having your work judged by guest judges allows a different slant every year – just because it wasn’t for the judges last time, doesn’t mean it’s not going to be this time,” says Anna, who has entered every year since the competition began in 2019.

This year’s Chief Judge is Harriet Allan, who has worked at Penguin Random House and its earlier iterations for nearly 35 years. She will be judging blind, meaning she will not know who has written each story.

“A good short story is like Dr Who’s tardis: a small police box on the outside, but, when you enter, it is enormous with multiple rooms. And, what’s more, it can take you anywhere in time and place,” Harriet says.

“In the introduction to The Penguin New Zealand Anthology published last year, I wrote, ‘It is commonly remarked that, among the numerous elements writers are expected to pack into their short stories (or novels for that matter), they should show character development in their main protagonist(s). In this case I would go in the opposite direction and add another stipulation: that the story should also leave its readers in a different place from where they started.’”

Harriet is currently working as a freelance editor, mentor and manuscript assessor, and was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit for services to publishing in 2024.

Established by University of Waikato Associate Professor Catherine Chidgey, the Sargeson Prize is named for celebrated New Zealand writer Frank Sargeson and is sponsored by the University of Waikato.

“I’m thrilled to have Harriet judging. She is the publisher of many award-winning books, has worked with some of New Zealand’s most decorated writers, and brings decades of experience as one of Aotearoa’s leading editors of fiction,” Catherine says.

“I can’t wait to see the entries from both new and established voices flood in.”

Entries for the 2024 competition close on 30 June.

Last year there were over 830 entries in the Open Division and 230 in the Secondary Schools Division.

The first-prize winner in the Secondary Schools Division will receive $2000 and a one-week summer writing residency at the University of Waikato, including accommodation, meals and mentoring.

During the meeting, the University of Waikato and several Vietnamese universities exchanged Memoranda of Understanding, including the renewal of the partnerships with Hanoi University and Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

They also signed two new cooperation agreements with Vinh University and Nam Can Tho University.

Waikato is the only university in New Zealand with a full-time bachelor’s programme in Vietnam, with two majors: Supply Chain Management and Digital Business, both of which are industries in need of high-quality human resources in Vietnam.

Prime Minister Chính the wish that the University of Waikato would expand its initiatives in Vietnam, including programmes in human resource development with Vietnam and consideration of opening a branch campus in Vietnam.

Award-winning children’s author, poet and writer, Ben Brown (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Paoa), says this year is not only about writing a novel that’s been on his mind for years, but about reconnecting with his people, te reo Māori and whakapapa.

“The project I proposed to come here, I was almost hesitant to put it down. It sounds like some clever guy sat down and tried to think up a project that is purpose-built for this residency, but this is what I wanted to do – so here I am,” says Ben.

Ben arrived on campus in January and will spend the next 12 months working on his novel, Kaore Au E Mate Rānei – Neither Shall I Die, a novel disguised as a non-fiction biography.

Its subject, Moko, born at sunset as a ship’s cannon roars on the 6 February 1840 at Waitangi, is a Kīngitanga and Hau Hau warrior, Pai Mārire mystic, Parihaka ploughman, artisan, pounamu gatherer, and more. His story begins and ends in Waikato.

“It’s a personal relationship between the author and the world the character inhabits. The book itself is an impossible premise – I’m sitting down having a conversation with a 186-year-old man and that’s the gist of it.”

Having spent his whole life in Motueka, Ben recently moved to Hamilton for the residency – an award jointly funded by the University and Creative New Zealand.

“I’m 62 years old and I’ve never felt settled anywhere except at work. If I can pick up my laptop, I can go anywhere. I believe in what I do; I’m a storyteller, and good storytelling is effective. It’s how we map out our lives and where we fit in with each other and the world around us.”

Ben has written many children’s books, non-fiction works, and short stories. He has performed throughout New Zealand and his work has been published around the world.

Ben began writing children’s books in 1992, often collaborating with his former wife, the illustrator Helen Taylor. The pair published more than 15 books, including Ngā Raukura Rima Tekau M ā Rima (2005), A Fish in the Swim of the World (2006), Between the Kindling and the Blaze: Reflections on the Concept of Mana (2013), and A Booming in the Night (2006), which won the Best Picture Book award in the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2006.

In 2009, Ben was the writer in residence at Hagley College, Christchurch, and was awarded the Māori Writer’s Residency at the Michael Kings Writers’ Centre in 2011. In 2021 Brown was named New Zealand’s first Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador.

“Kupapa Ki Raro. Titiro Ake! He haratau noo teenei whakataukii a Ngaati Koroki-Kahukura moo te mahi a Ben ki konei ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato.  He whakahokinga i a ia ki tōna ūkaipō, he oti raa ki toona whakapapa, ngaa koorero i tuku iho i oona tuupuna, me toona reo rangatira,” says Professor Tom Roa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato).

“This Ngaati Koroki-Kahukura proverb is most fitting in Ben’s joining us here on the University of Waikato campus with its connection to his Ngaati Koroki-Kahukura and Ngaati Hauaa whakapapa, the reconnecting with his people, and the voice of his ancestors – te reo Māori.

“The proverb asserts a bowing of one’s head in humility but always looking upward and outward to improve not only one’s own lot but that of one’s people.”

As part of the residency, Ben wants to bring his play ‘Ma Te Wa’ – a piece he wrote for the Lyttleton Arts Festival in 2022 – to the Hamilton campus.

Post-residency, Ben will stay in Waikato to write the biography of the late Sir Robert Te Kotahi Mahuta, the founding director of Te Kotahi Research Institute at the University of Waikato in 1972.

Ben was offered the job of Sir Robert’s PA and researcher in 1984 but declined the position due to a recent accident.

“I was 21, fresh out of hospital and still recovering from a bike smash, with a few more years of recovering ahead. I was in no fit state, really,” says Ben.

Ben was first approached to write the biography in 2014 by Sir Robert’s son, but the project was put on hold until late 2023.

“I was approached again, this time with a very detailed proposal offering me a commission to write his biography. Anyway, I said ‘yes, absolutely’,” he says.

“He never said so, but Robert always gave me the impression that ‘one day you’ll be back in Waikato’.

“And here I am.”

“This award is a real stepping stone in achieving a qualification and then heading out into the world to do great things,” Claire says.

“It’s a step towards empowering them to achieve their lifelong ambitions. They’ll be well-equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for success. It means so much to them as individuals and for their families too.”

Students who applied for the award detailed their aspirations for pursuing a degree at Waikato, their active involvement in the Waikato region, and their connection with HMS Trust.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for the award recipients,” says Claire. “They are all very deserving winners, and HMS Trust is proud to support them achieve their education goals and go on to do great things.”

The partnership, which started in late 2022, stemmed from discussions with Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley, Emeritus Professor Asad Mohsin, who is also an HMS Trust Board Member, HMS Trust Community Development Partner Ellie Wilkinson and Claire.

Based at the Settlement Centre Waikato on Claudelands Park, the Trust works with around 800 clients each year, providing a wide range of services and programmes for migrants and former refugees.

To be eligible for the Awards, applicants must be current clients of HMS Trust living in the Waikato region, be actively contributing to the Waikato community, and be enrolled in part or full-time study in a degree programme at the University in the year of the Award.

Preference will be given to first-time applicants, those with strong academic achievement or potential, and those with financial need. The intention is to award it to different students each year, and applicants can reapply for subsequent years.

The University of Waikato has benefitted from an increase in student numbers for the start of the 2024 academic year.

Overall student numbers are up more than 6%, with Ministry Funded Equivalent Full-Time Students (EFTS) growing over 3% in Hamilton and more than 6% in Tauranga. International EFTS are 25% higher than the same time last year, albeit remaining below pre-pandemic levels.

Postgraduate numbers are up 16% on last year and school leaver numbers have remained relatively stable despite a smaller cohort of Year 13 students achieving University Entrance.

“Students transferring from elsewhere in the tertiary sector is up by 19% over 2023 and there is a stronger pipeline of returning students with the volume up from last year,” says University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor, Professor Neil Quigley.

A Trimester is off to a strong start, largely because of its base of facilities and programmes, and a solid pipeline of enrolments that provide a strong foundation for future growth, says Professor Quigley.

“The demand for healthcare professionals is driving enrolment growth, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, especially with the prospect of a new Waikato Medical School.

“We have had notable enrolment increases for the Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Nursing Practice qualifications.”

Waikato’s law and psychology programmes are also experiencing growth and its total immersion Māori language programme, Te Tohu Paetahi, continues to see strong growth, with an over 20% increase overall in students enrolling for the year ahead.

“The positive enrolment numbers reflect the dedication of our staff and the quality of education we provide. We are excited about the future and the impact our University will continue to have on the lives of students and the community.”

Despite this, the University continues to operate in a highly constrained environment, Professor Quigley says, with many costs escalating far faster than the University’s income, and an ongoing need to improve the efficiency of our operations wherever opportunities are identified.

Bachelor of Business  
Bachelor of Computer Science  
Bachelor of Laws  
Bachelor of Nursing  
Diploma in Te Tohu Paetahi

Total domestic EFTS: 8,4,74 
Tauranga EFTS:  862 
Māori EFTS:  2,141 
Pacific EFTS: 747 
International EFT

Gary recalls sharing a tent with Craig for about 15 seasons in remote parts of Antarctica, and even in those challenging conditions Craig was always focused on science and ensuring the integrity of experiments and samples. He was an exemplar of how to make sure scientific data were accurate and reliable.

“The news of Craig’s passing has spread quickly, and we have been inundated with messages from colleagues all over New Zealand and the world who are also mourning this loss.”

Craig held several key roles at the University, including Assistant Vice-Chancellor PBRF, Director of the International Centre for Terrestrial Antarctic Research, Director of the DNA Sequencing Unit and Associate Dean Research within the School of Science, and was Professor of Biomedical, Molecular and Cellular Biology.

His research also established close ties with Antarctica New Zealand where he also served as Deputy Director and then Director of the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute.

Born in the United States, Craig earned his Bachelor of Science at the Florida Institute of Technology in 1976, and a Master of Science at San Diego State University in 1982. He completed his PhD at the University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1989.

In the early 90s, Craig worked as a postdoctoral Research Assistant Professor at Oregon State University and took his first academic position at the University of Delaware in 1994. During this time, he researched the deepest parts of the ocean aboard the manned Deep Sea Submersible Alvin. Craig joined the University of Waikato in 2004 but continued to work part time at the University of Delaware.

Close friend and colleague of 20 years, Deputy Dean, Te Aka Matuatua – School of Science, Professor Ian McDonald, also shared over 15 expeditions to Antarctica with Craig.

“He was my best friend; we started at the University of Waikato on the same day, and we were neighbours for 15 years,” Ian says.

Beyond his scholarly achievements, Craig was known for his unwavering passion for mentorship. Countless students and colleagues benefited from his guidance, and his positive influence will be felt for years to come.

“He was a huge supporter of the University of Waikato, and the research culture. He would spend hours with his students, helping other people achieve their research goals,” Ian says.

“Craig was a natural storyteller; he could talk to anyone and bring anything to life. I remember he shared a bunk room at Scott Base with journalist, Patrick Gower. Craig talked the socks of Paddy but enjoyed it so much that they filmed a segment in that room, sitting on the bed.”

From Craig’s arrival at Waikato, he began changing the paradigm on microorganisms in Antarctica, with several seminal contributions published with international coauthors in Nature journals.  

Craig, Ian, and Gary worked on ‘blue skies’ research – focusing on what’s in the environment, pushing back the frontiers of the world’s understanding of the fundamental building blocks of Earth’s biological systems.

Science reporter at New Zealand Herald, Jamie Morton has met some of the world’s more extraordinary scientists, but says it was Craig who stood out amongst the crowd. Not just for his research – understood to have had one of the highest tallies for trips to the ice, but also for his warmth and passion.

“I fondly recall his excitement in explaining to me how taxonomy and advanced DNA technology held the key to revealing the secrets of Antarctica’s poorly understood biological diversity, or how the towering Mt Erebus, which he and his team drilled directly into, hosted a dazzling abundance of extremely unusual micro-organisms,” Jamie says.

“His will be a huge loss for our tight-knit Antarctic community – and Aotearoa science more widely.”

Antarctica has relatively simple ecosystems so by understanding how bacteria operated in that extreme environment, he could also apply that to how they would behave in more complex ecosystems.

Craig made discoveries that fundamentally changed how the scientific community views microorganisms in Antarctica. Most notably, his work led to the recognition of strong biogeographical patterns in Antarctic soil microorganisms, which has had profound scientific and biosecurity implications.

Antarctica New Zealand General Manager Policy, Environment and Health and Safety, Ceisha Poirot, says Craig was one of the few people who would just pick up the phone and have a chat – often giving his professional insight.

“You’d agree to all these things on the phone, and by the time you get back to your desk, you stop and think, what did I just agree to,” Ceisha laughed.

“He had a real infectious enthusiasm to protect the environment, a larger-than-life kind of guy, who was passionate, a master at his craft and able to connect with anyone he knew.”

Antarctica New Zealand General Manager Operations, Simon Trotter, says Craig experienced more in a lifetime than most, and the people who had the honour of meeting him have all been positively impacted in some way or another.

“He was an amazing guy. I remember his unique field camps and how he would push the limits on the approaches to scientific works across the disciplines and the very challenging work on Mount Erebus – it wasn’t just about the science for him, it was also about the science of the body and how it faces the extreme environments.”

Research with an impact

A $1m Marsden grant in 2019, saw a group of researchers complete a world first mission inside the high-temperature soils on the summit of Mount Erebus, the most southern active volcano on the planet. The group was led by Craig and discovered some of the rarest and oldest living organisms on Earth.

In March last year, Craig also undertook a world first survey for bird flu, where he monitored a colony of one million Adelie penguins, trekking nine hours in and around the colony to look for signs of infection. He also developed a robot that can sample planktonic communities under the Antarctic ice shelf to help forecast the future impacts of climate change.

Craig’s most famous discoveries centered on Alvinella pompejana, the Pompeii worm, which revealed its remarkable survival capabilities in extreme conditions – making it the most thermal-tolerant organism known to science. His findings not only expanded our understanding of extremophiles but also held potential applications in pharmaceutical production.

In 2021, Craig was part of a group of international scientists that were awarded a $1.8m grant from the world-renown Human Frontier Science Program to study the evolution of the epsilonproteobacteria’s powerful flagellum.

A dedicated family man

While he will always be remembered for the passion he had for science, he was most proud of his role as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. His family describes him as a loyal, generous, and loving man, who inspired them, along with countless students, colleagues, and young people around the world.

He and his wife Amy shared a love that spanned 35 years, and together they raised two children, Ky and Robin, whom he adored, and a grandson Rio, who he loved deeply.  He was a wonderful provider who took an active role in his children’s life.  He was very proud of them and the partners they had chosen.

The University of Waikato community mourns the loss of a brilliant scientist and cherished colleague.

A celebration of the remarkable legacy that Craig leaves behind is being held at The Pā, University of Waikato Hamilton campus, on Saturday 9 March at 1pm.

All are welcome to attend. Please RSVP, and for those who can’t make it, details of the livestream are available on the above link.