Learn more about our qualified and experienced staff
We are happy to announce the growing list of qualified academics that are joining the teaching staff here at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. We endeavour to offer the best courses taught by qualified and experienced academics. Our academic staff add strength to the value of our offerings and are an important part of our future moving forward. Read on to learn more about our qualified and experienced academic staff.
Distinguished Professor Graham Hingangaroa Smith
CEO / Vice Chancellor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Professor Graham Smith is a prominent Māori educationalist and advocate who has been at the forefront of alternative Māori initiatives in the education field and beyond. His academic background is within the disciplines of Education, Social Anthropology and Cultural and Policy Studies.
Read Graham's full biography
Len Hetet
Pūkenga Matua - Senior Lecturer
Multi Media Graphic Design
I have been in the design and print industry for the past 20 years and have a vast range of knowledge in... managing people, design jobs, print and merchandise production and managing budgets for design and print jobs.
Read Len's full biography
Monte Himone Aranga
Pūkenga Matua - Senior Lecturer (Level 2)
MAO415 - Advanced Study of Mātauranga Māori
Born in Whakatāne, with initial schooling in Te Teko then Kawerau and Opotiki Colleges then finally Meadowbank Technical College in Sydney; gaining entrance into the University of New South Wales. After twenty years in Poihākena Monte was advised to return to Aotearoa by his tutors in Ataarangi at Bondi Beach.
Read Monte's full biography
Wiremu Doherty
Executive Dean
Wiremu comes from a secondary school background, where he was Assistant Principal at Saint Stephen's School until its closure, and prior to moving to Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi was the Principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae and Executive Director at Manukau Institute of Technology.
Read Wiremu's full biography
Professor Lynette Carter
Director of the Centre of Post-Treaty Settlement Futures
Deputy Head of School, Indigenous Graduate Studies
Professor Carter’s whakapapa is to Kāti Huirapa, Kāti Hawea, and Kāti Ruahikihiki hapū at Puketeraki Marae, Karitane and Te Rau Aroha Marae, Motupohue (Bluff). She also has links with Te Whānau ā Apanui through the Stirling family connections with Motupohue.
Read Lynette's full biography
Dr Paul Kayes
Academic Registrar and Director of Te Whare Taiao – Institute of Indigenous Science
Paul’s current academic interests include his role as Academic Registrar and as Director of Te Whare Taiao. This means he has responsibility for implementing the Institute of Indigenous Science strategic plan, and through that working with Iwi especially in areas such as marine biology and customary fishing.
Read Paul's full biography
Dr Janette Hamilton-Pearce
Deputy Director and Senior Lecturer Tokorau Indigenous Innovation Institute
Dr Hamilton-Pearce’s research concentrates on Mana Wāhine theory for an Indigenous Māori women’s cultural construction of information, communication, technology (ICT) and media.
Read Janette's full biography
Associate Professor Te Tuhi Robust
Director Operations (Northland)
I graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Auckland in 1968 and completed a Master of Education in Māori Education (Honours) with Second Class Honours in 2000. I then commenced my Doctor of Education studies in 2001 in the School of Education now the Faculty of Education.
Read Te Tuhi's full biography
Te Mauri Apiata
Community Education and Te Pouhono Regional Monitor, School of Iwi Development
Te Mauri was raised within the community of Rūātoki. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree and a Post Graduate Diploma of Māori Resource Development from Massey University.
Read Te Mauri's full biography
Cheryl Stephens
Director - National Institute of Māori Education
I trained as a primary school teacher and worked in that sector for over 20 years before coming to Awanuiarangi in 1999. During thie time I had the opportunity to be seconded as Māori recruitment officer; Resource Teacher of Māori and trained as an Education Review Officer and Reading Recovery teacher.
Read Cheryl's full biography
Associate Professor Dr. Mark R. Laws
Director, Tokorau Indigenous Innovation Institute
Mark holds a PhD in Information Science from the University of Otago. He was the founding Head for the new Computer Information Science and Technology Faculty at the Wānanga in 2004.
Read Mark's full biography
Tui Tahuipare Ah Loo
Director of Operations (Awanuiārangi ki Tamaki)
As the director Director of operations Operations for the Tamaki campus Tui is responsible for leading the development and operational management of the Auckland site at Unitec in Mt Albert.
Read Tui's full biography
Tamati Waaka
Academic Advisor/Manager, School of Iwi Development
Born and raised in Whakatane, Tamati has a background in Māori broadcasting, sports, politics, Māori issues and current affairs.
Read Tamati's full biography
Hine Waitere
Director of the Indigenous Leadership Centre within the National Institue of Māori Education
I have recently joined the team having arrived from Massey University where as a senior lecturer I taught within the Masters program educational administration/leadership programIn relation to teaching, I graduated from Waikato in 1980.
Read Hine's full biography
Michael Kerney
Course Co-ordinator, Bachelor of Environmental Studies - Mt Albert Campus, Auckland
Mick's thesis for his Phd is a topic that gets the interest of many Māori as it looks at the aquacultural potential of New Zealand short finned and long finned eels. His presentations on the topic of tuna (eels) also get a good response from Māori as they are still a valued taonga for Māori.
Read Michael's full biography
Richard Jefferies
PROVOST
He has worked as a Māori development consultant for numerous years and has experience in the areas of Māori education, strategic management, environmental management, project management, Māori language revitalisation, indigenous business, Māori land development and research.
Read Richards's full biography
Ngatau Aroha Puketapu-Dahm
Team Leader Ako Tuapapa Literacy and Numeracy
I trained as an adult educator with the Aotearoa Māori Private Training Establishment Providers (AMPTEE) network under an agreement with Massey University then went on to complete a Master of Education with Massey.
Read Ngatau's full biography
Rosina Taniwha
Educational Research and Development Manager - National Institute of Maori Education
Drawn by the opportunity to be involved in the development and implementation of a Maori medium Kaupapa Maori degree (Te Iti Rearea – Early years 0-8ys) I commenced my journey with Awanuiarangi in 2006.
Read Rosina's full biography