Distinguished Professor Jacinta Ruru MNZM, FRSNZ
Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui
Te Pou Koko, Māori | Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Māori
Email dvc.maori@otago.ac.nz
Professor Ruru leads Te Tari o te Pou Koko Māori in providing strategic advice on giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in academic and research domains.
Distinguished Professor Jacinta Ruru profile
Kiri Miller
Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe
Taituarā Matua | Executive Assistant
Email dvc.maori@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 556 6216
Kiri provides high-level confidential executive support and advice and is the first point of contact for the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Māori. She manages the Deputy Vice-Chancellor's appointments, meetings, and email correspondence.
Kiri has a background in Commerce (with Management and Marketing), graduating from the University of Otago in 2001. She has experience working across many different government agencies (i.e., health, education, and tax sectors).
Strategy
Janine Kapa
Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha
Director Māori Strategy
Email janine.kapa@otago.ac.nz
Janine provides strategic expertise, advice, and guidance in leading the development and facilitating the application of the University’s strategic commitment to become Te Tiriti o Waitangi led. As part of her role, she is the strategic lead for the Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi Domain of Pae Tata, the University’s Strategic Plan to 2030.
Janine has been passionately involved in Māori education for over 30 years – in the compulsory and tertiary sectors; from the classroom to the board room; locally, regionally, and nationally. With a background also in applied research, communications, project management, strategic development, and systems change, Janine co-founded Kia Māia Bicultural Communications in 1999, and has held senior Māori leadership roles with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (2003-2005), the University of Otago (2007-2017), Otago Polytechnic (2017-2022) and Te Pūkenga (2022-2024). For Te Pūkenga, she led the integration and implementation of Te Pae Tawhiti, Te Tiriti o Waitangi Excellence Framework, and contributed to the co-creation of Aotearoa NZ’s new national vocational education network.
Claire Porima
Tainui-Waikato, Ngāti Hikairo
Kaitohu Matua Māori I Senior Strategy Adviser, Māori
Email claire.porima@otago.ac.nz
This role provides strategic policy advice and support to the DVCM Office. Claire’s focus is on the delivery of outcomes set out in Pae Tata Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi Domain Plan.
Claire has over 15 years’ experience at the university designing and delivering projects that meet the broader strategic directions and Te Tiriti policies of the University. She joins us after several years with SARO , and before that with OMD .
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Otago, Claire served in MFAT ’s diplomatic service here and overseas, then worked for private sector companies (international banking, and telecommunications). When living in Australia, Claire retrained and established an Executive and Bicultural Coaching practice which she continues to run while working part-time at the university. She is committed to pursuing economic and business opportunities for Māori and is involved with regional and local advisory groups. Claire also is Chair of the Board of Te Kupeka Umaka Māori ki Āraiteuru ( KUMA ), the southern Māori business network.
Kare Tipa
Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Kahungunu
Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa Toitū te Reo
Email kare.tipa@otago.ac.nz
Kare descends from the deep south. Born in Invercargill and raised in Ōtepoti, Kare, a Mātauraka Māori practitioner, has spent over half her life teaching and practicing in Te Ao Māori. She is a board representative for Te Rūnaka o Moeraki as well as other committees that give strategic advice for Kāi Tahu research and development. Kare has a long history of teaching contributions to the Kāi Tahu language strategy Kotahi Mano Kāika and to Te Pae Karaka o Araiteuru.
For the last 4 years Kare has been lecturing for Te Tumu in the fields of language, tikaka and Kāi Tahu society papers. In the last year, Kare has supported two research panel seminars highlighting the development of total immersion practitioners in the Otago region. At whakawātea and formal opeinings it’s not unusual to spot Kare amongst the kairuruku, or out the back supporting mahi in the kāuta. Due to Kare’s career and the responsibilites to Mātauraka Māori that she holds locally, regionally and nationally, she has been granted her opportunities to work as a Kura Reo teacher, and supervising for post-graduate study. The Toitū te Reo position excites her to work alongside a team who is committed to developing innovative ways to grow and foster a deeper Māori research culture, to work and learn in Te Reo Māori.
Alishea Dench
Kaituitui Hinoka | Project Co-ordinator
Email alishea.dench@otago.ac.nz
Alishea is excited to have the opportunity to support the transformational change that is underway at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka. She is currently in a fixed term role with Te Tari o Te Pou Koko Māori and Transformation and Improvement, providing project planning and coordination to support the implementation of Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi Domain of Pae Tata, the University’s Strategic Plan to 2030.
Alishea is a strategic thinker, strong communicator and an efficient problem solver with extensive project planning, co-ordination and management experience across a variety of contexts. She has led projects for Te Poari a Pukekura | Pukekura co-management Trust, other NGO’s, Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation and Tūhura | Otago Museum. Much of her recent mahi has seen her working alongside mana whenua and within kaupapa Māori contexts.
Academic
Associate Professor Tania Huria
Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga
Manutaki – Ako | Dean – Academic
Email tania.huria@otago.ac.nz
Tania is a nationally and internationally recognised leader in Māori health, Indigenous medical education, and equity. Tania began her academic journey as a lecturer with MIHI (Māori/Indigenous Health Innovation Department), where she co-designed two foundational frameworks, The Meihana Model and The Hui Process, alongside Professor Suzanne Pitama. The Meihana Model and Hui Process have become internationally recognised for guiding Hauora Māori clinical practice and Indigenous medical education. Over nearly two decades, Tania has held a range of influential roles, including Associate Dean Māori, Associate Dean (Student Affairs), and as a member of the senior leadership team at the University of Otago, Christchurch. Tania’s most recent university role, is as an Associate Professor with MIHI , contributing to post graduate teaching and academic leadership.
Tania co-author of the CONSIDER Statement (Consolidated Criteria for Strengthening the Reporting of Health Research Involving Indigenous Peoples), a globally cited framework supporting ethical, transparent, and culturally appropriate research with Indigenous communities. In addition to her academic leadership, she currently serves as the Director of Hauora Māori and Equity at Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa, where she leads national strategy to embed equity and advance Māori health and wellbeing across the sexual and reproductive health sector. Tania’s leadership is underpinned by values of manaakitanga, rangatiratanga, and whanaungatanga.
Rachel Sizemore
Kāi Tahu
Te Poutama Māori Co-ordinator
Email te.potamamaori@otago.ac.nz
Rachel is the Co-ordinator for the Māori academic caucus, Te Poutama Māori. Her workdays are Mondays and Tuesdays in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Māori.
Rachel co-ordinates and facilitates the activities and meetings of Te Poutama Māori and provides administrative support to Te Poutama Māori Executive Committee members.
Rachel has a science background and more recently has worked as the Piki Ake Connector for New Zealand Universities. She works part-time as the Māori Postgraduate Co-ordinator in the Graduate Research School, Wednesday mornings, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Dr Rachel Martin
Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha
Senior Lecturer
Email rachel.s.martin@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 3031
Rachel has a fixed-term .5 role to support the development of a business case to establish a Māori curriculum unit. The remainder of her time is spent completing various education and research contracts.
She enjoys research, in particular, Māori education and engaging in te ao Māori inclusive of culturally and linguistically sustaining Te Tiriti-based frameworks for research. Rachel has extensive experience in bilingual education, Māori education, intergenerational transmission of te reo Māori, intergenerational and historical trauma, Kaupapa Māori research, and Indigenous education. She completed a PhD in 2017 which investigated how parents, who are second language learners and speakers of te reo Māori, nurture their children as Māori, in the Christchurch region.
She is a trained primary teacher and enjoys integrating Kāi Tahutaka and te reo me kā tikaka Māori in educational programmes. Rachel worked at University of Canterbury College of Education 1999–2018 and joined the Otago University Dunedin College of Education in 2019–2023. She takes pride in being appointed as the first College of Education Associate Dean Māori and has held various leadership positions in her teaching career and during her time at the Universities of Canterbury and Otago.
Kiringāua Cassidy
Kāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Takoto, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Mutunga
Research Assistant
Email kiringaua.cassidy@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 556 7935
Kiringāua Cassidy provides expertise to support the delivery of Poipoia te Kākano - Nurturing tauira Māori by establishing clear opportunities to support the many rōpū tauira Māori across all Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka campuses to succeed in areas of leadership and governance, which aligns with the University's Pae Tata - Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi Domain Plan.
Born and raised in Ōtepoti, and as a mana whenua representative of Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou, Kiringāua has supported the University in many ways with tikaka Māori and te ao Māori as a kaikōrero at pōwhiri for first-year tauira Māori, at mihi whakatau across campus, and also as a kairuruku executing whakawātea of a number of sites on campus, as well as participating in the launch of the new ikoa Māori and tohu of Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
Kiringāua is one of many in a generation of young and passionate rakatahi Kāi Tahu who are very fortunate to speak te reo Māori as a first language. As a product of the Kāi Tahu language revitalisation strategy Kotahi Mano Kāika, Kotahi Mano Wawata , he has been raised in an environment steeped in te ao Māori, tikaka Māori and te reo Māori, and has been able to give back to his community by becoming a kaiako at Kura Reo in Te Waipounamu over a number of years.
He is the youngest certified te reo Māori translator and interpreter in the world, which has given him the opportunity to work alongside amazing organisations, namely Kotahi Rau Pukapuka and Disney Reo Māori.
Most recently, Kiringāua worked as a Kaiāwhina Whare (Sub-Warden) at Hayward College while completing his undergraduate degree, providing pastoral care to multitudes of first-year tauira as they navigate the beginning of their University journey at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka .
Kiringāua recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts major in Indigenous Studies with an additional minor in History. He is currently starting a Master's in Indigenous Studies.
Māori Development
Hata Temo
Tūhoe
Kaitohutohu Māori
Tel +64 3 479 4277
Email hata.temo@otago.ac.nz
Rhonda Bryant
Kāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine
Acting Interim Director
Tel +64 3 479 8738
Email rhonda.bryant@otago.ac.nz
Karin Fraser
Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Hine, Te Rarawa
Executive Assistant
Tel +64 3 479 8081
Email karin.fraser@otago.ac.nz
Contact Karin to receive a copy of the Māori Strategic Framework.
Kiritea Smith
Ngai te Rangi, Ngati Ranginui, Tainui
Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa | Project Manager
Tel +64 3 479 8074
Email kiritea.smith@otago.ac.nz
Maioha Watson
Waikato, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Āti Awa, Te Arawa
Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa | Project Manager
Tel +64 3 479 5451
Email maioha.watson@otago.ac.nz
He taura whiri, he hononga
We work closely with:
- Associate Deans Māori in Divisions, Faculties and Schools
- Te Huka Mātauraka: Māori Centre
- Te Poutama Māori
- Kaimahi Māori staff
- Te Rōpū Māori
- Te Tumu School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies
- Māori-specific positions including Māori strategic advisers
- Māori research centres and units