Faculty of Medicine - Christchurch Ōtautahi Dean Professor Lutz Beckert awards Amber Philpott the Gold Medal for Teaching Excellence.
The Faculty of Medicine – Christchurch Ōtautahi community came together in the Rolleston Lecture Theatre earlier this month to celebrate its annual Matariki Awards, recognising the teaching, research and service of staff who continue to make a lasting contribution to the campus.
The celebration began with a mihimihi led by Faculty Pou Tiaki Te Marino Lenihan, who reflected on the significance of Matariki and the guiding stars that connect people, past and present.
Before presenting the awards, Dean Professor Lutz Beckert encouraged staff and students to pause together at the midpoint of the year to acknowledge both achievement and resilience.
He paid tribute to colleagues who had recently passed away, including surgical colleague Professor Peter Larsen, and reflected on the importance of leaving a positive legacy.
"Our mandate is to leave this place just a tiny bit better," Lutz said. "Not through revolution, but through small contributions that, together, make a real difference."
He also acknowledged colleagues whose research funding had been affected by changing government priorities, praising their determination to keep moving forward.
"Leading your module, your research group or your team means being a dealer in hope and optimism," he said.
Lutz said the awards reflected the Faculty’s shared values of collaboration, respect, social accountability, integrity and leadership.
Looking to the future, he urged staff to remain optimistic despite ongoing challenges.
"We cannot predict the future. We can write it," he said. "Guiding stars help us do that. We are an amazing team."
Deputy Dean, Professor Tim Wilkinson, announced the award winners, all grouped under each of the five campus values – Tōtara Tū Ki Te Parae (Social Accountability), Ngākau Tapatahi (Integrity), Mā Whero, Mā Pango (Collaboration), Aroha Ki Te Tangata (Respect) and Mana Whakatupu (Leadership). Winners were nominated by staff, with members of the Christchurch Medical Students Association (CMSA) collecting votes and handing out awards to staff teaching the year 3-6 degree modules.
Following the awards presentation, Te Marino blessed the celebratory Matariki lunch.
The campus acknowledges and thanks the dedicated behind-the-scenes work of the Dean's Executive Assistant, Robyn Maguigan, whose organisation of the annual event helps make the celebration possible each year.
Matariki Staff Awards organiser and Executive Assistant to the Faculty of Medicine - Christchurch Dean, Robyn Maguigan, alongside members of the Christchurch Medical Students Association (CMSA).
The award recipients
Tōtara Tū Ki Te Parae / Social Accountability
Presenters: Tim Wilkinson and Minnie Zhou
Recipient: Cara Meredith, for her work in translating her doctoral findings directly into a pilot Kaupapa Māori maternal mental health service, Whānau Whakapuāwai, meaning that she has returned a tangible asset to the community; a working service providing whānau plans, te reo Māori tautoko, and culturally grounded healing for mothers experiencing mental distress.
Ngākau Tapatahi/Integrity
Presenters: Tim Wilkinson and Carolyn Stanton
Recipient: Clara-Ann Paul, for her advocacy for community actors to ensure fair pay and a nurturing work environment. Her advocacy has been instrumental, as without the community actors MIHI would not be able to run clinical simulations. These simulations serve not only as a tool to teach students but also to tell the stories of Indigenous peoples' experiences within the health system.
Mā Whero, Mā Pango / Collaboration
Presenters: Tim Wilkinson and Shereen Naicker
Recipients:
Clara Anderson, for going above and beyond in helping to develop a pilot bespoke MB ChB programme pathway for a student to support greater flexibility within the tightly prescribed medical programme. This required extensive collaboration with Associate Deans, module convenors, and admin staff across multiple areas, alongside careful co-ordination of complex timetabling and programme requirements.
Ellen Woodcock. She received the Allied Health Investigator Award at the Annual Cardiac Society Awards in 2025 for a paper from research that exemplifies collaboration across two distinct knowledge systems and professional disciplines: clinical cardiology and Māori health research. By uniting the "red" of clinical science with the "black" of Indigenous Health, she has produced knowledge that could lead to more accurate diagnosis and better heart outcomes for Māori communities.
Max Yavitt, for being instrumental in leading the harnessing and growing collaboration and training with UOC students, and PhD students from outside UOC that have visited or collaborated with the Department to access specialist equipment and expertise. For being a positive, interactive, and available mentor.
Arthur Morley-Bunker, for his ongoing support of UOC in his commitment to building meaningful relationships across the health, research, and technology sectors in the area of AI in 2025/26 - overall, his advocacy has contributed to raising UOC's profile as a leader in translational-enabled health research, especially related to AI.
Aroha Ki Te Tangata / Respect
Presenters: Tim Wilkinson and Laura Joyce
Recipient: Nikki Hooper, for the respect she has gained from students for addressing their needs with empathy and compassion in her role as the first female Convenor of the Surgery 5 module; for her encouragement of medical students at year 5 and 6 level to become involved in the annual LIONZ meeting to expose them to other female surgeons; for her organising multiple scholarships for travel, accommodation, and registration to enable them to attend; and for the respect she has gained nationally in roles with a number of organisations where she has been responsible for promoting the role and visibility of female orthopaedic surgeons in NZ.
Annual Postgraduate Supervision Awards
Katie Douglas, Helen Fitt. Acknowledgement of demonstrated sustained outstanding competence in one of three areas; excellence in postgraduate supervision; innovation in postgraduate supervision; contribution to the UOC postgraduate supervision environment; and competence in one other (or sustained outstanding competence in more than one area).
Annual Teaching Award
Laura Joyce, for the respect, leadership and advocacy shown to students on campus, along with her continued excellence in teaching.
The Robin Fraser Research Supporter of the Year Award
Caitlin Mather, for the amazing way she has dealt with complicated issues and ensuring the interests of researchers are front of mind, especially when changes threaten to negatively impact them in relation to the Wai-Ora Project.
Gold Medal For Teaching Excellence
Amber Philpott. The recipient has demonstrated sustained outstanding competence in at least one of the three required areas i.e. direct teaching and/or supervision; course development and/or innovation; contribution to the UOC teachng and learning environment; and sustained competence in the others; and has demonstrated sustained leadership in teaching and learning; and performed the majority of contributions while at the University of Otago, Christchurch.
Christchurch Medical Students Association (CMSA) Awards to Staff.
The staff member adjudged by students to have been the Best Consultant Teacher; 4th Year Tamara Glynn; 5th Year Logan Walker; 6th Year Logan Walker.
The staff member adjudged by students to have been the Best Registrar Teacher; 4th Year Henry Witcomb-Cahill; 5th Year Matty Sollis; 6th Year Matty Solis.
The staff member adjudged by students to have been the Best House Officer Teacher; 4th Year Sam Penney; 5th Year Charlotte Skelton; 6th Year Lucy Blay.
The teaching run adjudged by students to have been the Best Module; 4th Year General Surgery; 5th Year Advanced Medicine; 6th Year General Medicine.
The staff member adjudged by students to have been the Best Module Convenor; 4th Year Lynette Murdoch; 5th Year Nick Douglas; 6th Year Laura Joyce.
The vertical module adjudged by students to have been the Best Vertical Module; 4th Year Haematology; 5th Year Haematology; 6th Year Radiology.
The staff member adjudged by students to have been the Best Vertical Module Teacher; 4th Year Sean MacPherson; 5th Year Sean MacPherson; 6th Year Logan Walker.
The staff member adjudged by students to have offered the most support; 4th Year Helen Clayton; 5th Year Jane Marriner; 6th Year Clara Anderson.
The staff member adjudged by students to have been the most engaging; Heather Patterson and Craig Edlin (joint winners).
Mana Whakatupu / Leadership
Presenters: Tim Wilkinson and Lutz Beckert
Recipients:
Christina McKerchar and Te Marino Lenihan, for nurturing the use of te reo Māori on campus by holding fortnightly Cafe Reo sessions. These sessions provide a welcoming space for University staff at all levels to meet, share kai, and practise te reo Māori together. As a result of this supportive initiative, a regular Cafe Reo attendee was able to perform kai korero (te reo Māori speaking role) for the first time, with the tautoko (support) of their Cafe Reo whānau.
Angela Beard, for fundamentally changing the cultural competency landscape for obstetricians and gynaecologists in Aotearoa through her strength of character, influence, and unwavering commitment and, because of this advocacy, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has made it compulsory for all consultants and trainees to attend the MIHI 501 course - transforming cultural safety from an optional extra into a non-negotiable standard for an entire medical speciality; and for her development of innovative teaching resources currently being piloted in her teaching. .
- Kōrero by Lorelei Mason