Outstanding leaders in terrestrial ecology, Professor Bruce Clarkson and Dr Bev Clarkson have dedicated their careers to understanding and protecting our special landscapes. Collectively, the Clarksons have attracted approximately $26 million in research funding, written nearly 200 peer-reviewed papers, supervised over 25 postgraduate students, supported many major community environmental/conservation advisory organisations and provided senior leadership…
From sewage to sea-level rise, Dr Rob Bell has devoted his professional life to protecting New Zealanders from water-related hazards. Principal Scientist and Programme Leader at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Dr Bell’s remarkable career began with a series of engineering projects to clean up wastewater outfall discharges into our coastal…
Better health outcomes for pregnant women and their babies is a passion for Dr Ruth Martis. Dr Martis has been involved in research on breastfeeding, teenage pregnancy, fetal heart-rate monitoring and movement in labour and most recently gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). High blood sugar levels during pregnancy pose risks to both the mother and her…
The ebb and flow of the ocean holds a particular fascination for Dr Julia Mullarney. Dr Mullarney creatively combines lab experiments, numerical modelling and field research to understand the dynamics shaping our coastal environments. She has shown international research leadership in her studies of mangrove zones, making important discoveries about the factors influencing sediment movement…
Through clinical research, quality improvement initiatives and education, the Midland Trauma Research Centre (MTRC) aims to reduce the incidence and impact of traumatic injury. The MTRC team has published numerous important papers on cycling, workplace and on-farm injuries; equity and ethnicity; trauma in the elderly and the experience/impact of trauma on patients and whaanau/family. The…
The Waikato Data Portal team has broken down silos to better leverage and improve access to data generated by our region’s councils. There are 12 councils in the Waikato, all collecting information to support their legislated activities. People wanting to access this data have previously had to approach councils individually to get what they need.…
In day-to-day lab management and as a champion for her profession, Raewyn Keene goes the extra mile. Described by colleagues as an unsung hero, Raewyn is a vital cog in the St Paul’s Collegiate science faculty, where she is sole-charge Science Technician supporting a faculty of 16 teaching staff across six departments. Raewyn came to…
Karen Thompson’s technical career demonstrates an appetite for challenge. Aside from a two-year spell overseas, Karen Thompson has worked at NIWA since 2001, and is now manager of its Ecotoxicology and Chemistry Group. She has proved her skills in some demanding situations, from conducting assays on long oceanic voyages, to devising experimental setups for fish…
The ultimate quiet achiever, John Williamson has been a mainstay of our dairy research industry. John worked in laboratories for the Dairy Board and Dexcel, joining Dairy NZ as a Lead Research Technician when it was formed in 2007. His focus has been microbiology and he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of mastitis, including treatment and…
A dynamic, visionary science educator, Rachael Goddard is committed to fostering sustainability. Rachael Goddard has been a passionate environmental scientist and educator for over 17 years. As Sustainability & Environment Manager for the University of Waikato, she developed, delivers and reports on its sustainability strategy. She has engaged thousands on campus and in the community…