Staff Awards

Awards for Exceptional Performance by Professional Staff

The University of Otago Award for Exceptional Performance by Professional Staff was instituted in November 2004 by the Vice Chancellor's Advisory Group. The purpose of this annual award is to recognise and reward members of the professional staff who have made an outstanding contribution to the University of Otago.

Four awards are available, with one recipient also being awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Award.

Terms - Awards for Exceptional Performance by Professional Staff (PDF)

Health and Safety Initiative Awards

These awards are available to all staff to recognise their commitment to health and safety.

• University of Otago Health and Safety Initiative Award (Individual)
• University of Otago Health and Safety Initiative Award (Team)

Terms - Health and Safety Initiative Awards (PDF)

Awards for Sustainable Practice by Staff

These awards have been instituted as a means of recognising and rewarding staff who have made an outstanding contribution to sustainability.

• University of Otago Award for Sustainable Practice by Staff (Individual)
• University of Otago Award for Sustainable Practice by Staff (Team)

Terms - Awards for Sustainable Practice by Staff (PDF)

Wellbeing Awards

These awards are available to all staff to recognise their commitment to wellbeing at the University of Otago.

• Wellbeing Award by Staff (Individual)
• Wellbeing Award by Staff (Team)

Terms - Wellbeing Awards (PDF)

The 2025 Staff Awards winners

Vice-Chancellor’s Award

• Carol Forbes, Quality Advancement Unit

Awards for Exceptional Performance by Professional Staff

• Charlotte Ball, Divisional Services and Administration
• Craig Marshall, Financial Services Divisional Office
• Project: DOUG & AVA, Student Administration and Continuous Improvement

Health and Safety Initiative Award (Team)

• SAFE-D: Safety Awareness for Everyone in Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry

Health and Safety Initiative Award (Individual)

• Annabel Cole, Proctor's Office

Wellbeing Award (Individual)

• Tracie Leckie, Department of Management and Va'a o Tautai – Centre for Pacific Health

Read the full Otago Bulletin news story

Previous Winners – Award for Exceptional Performance by Professional Staff

• 2024: Michelle Taiaroa*, Jacqui Bradshaw, Thelma Fisher, Dr Alison Stewart
• 2023: Claire Ramsay*, Samantha Campbell, Dr Rachel Elliot, Danella King
• 2022: Megan McPherson, Communications; Brent Pooley, Geology
• 2021: Carol Dunstone, Anatomy; David Hood, Learning and Development; Chris Smith, Anatomy
• 2020: Megan Coleman*, Microbiology and Immunology; Cate Bardwell, Library; Communications Office; eConferencing
• 2019: Brian Donnelly, Promotions and Remuneration
• 2018: Claire Gallop, Client Services
• 2017: Joint winners Sally Carson, New Zealand Marine Studies Centre, and Sze-En Watts, University Volunteer Centre
• 2016: Joint winners Kieran Columb, Department of Human Nutrition, and Fieke Neuman, Department of Anatomy
• 2015: Sally-Ann Howard, Department of Anatomy
• 2014: Mark Brunton, Office of Māori Development
• 2013: Helen Morrin, Christchurch Campus Department of Pathology
• 2012: 'The Goddard Boys' (Jeremy Anderson, Russell Phillips, Lindsay Robertson, Jason Campbell, Richard Hamelink, Meric Hoffman, William van der Vliet, Paul O'Donnell and Hadyn Youens), Department of Psychology. Also, Carole Scott, Higher Education Development Centre
• 2011: Joint winners Peter Stroud and Richard Sparrow, Physics Department's Mechanical Workshop Team
• 2010: Susan Deans, Department of Physiology
• 2009: Nicola Walmsley, Customer Services, Information Technology Services
• 2008: Linda Brown, Department of Languages and Cultures
• 2007: Nigel Barrett, School of Physical Education
• 2006: Joint winners, Management Team, Arana College and Allan Mitchell, Otago Centre for Electron Microscopy, Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology
• 2005: Joint winners, Louise Kewene, Department of Music and Murray McKenzie, Department of Zoology

* In 2020 the award was extended to four awards, with one recipient also being awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Award.