Announcing our Excellence Awards finalists

...AND People’s Choice voting is open!

Kia ora koutou

I'm delighted to announce the finalists for the Unitec Excellence Awards - Ngā Tohu Kairangi o Wairaka 2021, and to open the voting for the People’s Choice Award.

We received an impressive 185 nominations! Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate a colleague or team. After the disruptive year we’ve had, it’s heartening to see so many of you show your support for colleagues and the great mahi they’ve done to support our students and our institute – ka pai!

Read the full list of finalists on the Nest 

We have 52 finalists this year from across our teaching and support teams.

Vote for your People's Choice Award winner!

Our INDIVIDUAL finalists (not teams) are eligible for the People’s Choice Award so take a look at the list on our Nest Staff Awards page to read about their achievements, (or the shorter version at the end of this email) then click the ‘vote’ button below. Voting closes at 4pm on Tuesday 23 November.

Note: The People’s Choice vote link is unique to you, and you can only vote once.

You recently received an invitation to the Awards Celebration event on Thursday 2 December (Outlook appointment from Communications). We’re looking forward to seeing you there, as we celebrate excellence, reflect on this extraordinary year and spend time together, albeit remotely. I'm very much looking forward to this special occasion. 

Ngā mihi

Gus Gilmore
Chief Executive

Our 2021 finalists are:

Excellence in Early Career Teaching

• Eugene Nehring – Lecturer, School of Trades and Services
• Nursing lecturers in Bachelor of Nursing team: Gilian Graham, Sarah Gray, Laurien Wheeler
• School of Trades and Services: New beginnings team - Richard Boynton, Kasun De Alwis, Joshua Iwan, Caleb Wong, Eugene Nehring, Trent Barclay, Tommy Atkins, Colin Corkill, Craig Goodhue, Alastair Dale, Mark Lawson, Dean D’souza, Feleti Key, Ruben Sigglekow, Rick Yu, Stuart Marshall, David Ryan, Simon Goodlud

Innovation in teaching

• Katy Mann-Benn - Team Leader, Learning and Achievement
• Lee-Ann Turton - Programme Co-ordinator, Bachelor of Teaching, Early Childhood
• Matthew Bradbury - Associate Professor, School of Architecture

Excellence in Teaching

• Alexandra Whitham – Lecturer in Voice and Acting, Performing and Screen Arts, School of Creative Industries
• Chris Stoddard - Lecturer, New Zealand Certificate in Construction Trades
• Cindy Wee - Learning Advisor
• Sanjeev Ranganathan – Lecturer, School of Applied Business
• William Bardebes – Lecturer in Design and Discipline Leader: Design, Design & Contemporary Arts, School of Creative Industries

Excellence in Teaching - Kaupapa Māori

• Department of Social Practice: Anne Walsh, Nigel Pizzini, Kaylene Parr, Aulola Lino, Hoa Nguyen, Allan McEvoy, Craig Tunnicliffe, Irene Ayallo, Gavin Rennie, David Kenkel, Paula Bold-Wilson, Jason Hallie, Cheryl Talamaivao, Byron Rangiwai, Arnia Tamihana-Simich, Ali Rasheed, Mandy Leeson, Grace Hafoka, David McNabb, Peter Mathewson, Helen Gremillion, Geoff Bridgman, Sandra Hosking, Fi Pillay, Linda Aumua
• Paula Bold Wilson – Lecturer, Social Practice
• Tanya White - Kaitiaki Taiao, Maia and Lecturer, Creative Industries

Excellence in Research

• Dr Jenny Lee-Morgan - Director, Ngā Wai a te Tūi
• Dr Kristie Cameron - Senior Lecturer, School of Environmental and Animal Studies
• Dr Samantha Heath - Senior Lecturer - Healthcare, School of Healthcare and Social Practice

Excellence in Support: Supporting systems and processes

• Edgar Rowland - Team Leader, Enrolment Processing
• Kristine Brothers - Director - Business Performance, Finance
• Vince Shepherd - Resources Specialist – Systems, Library and Learning Commons

Excellence in Support: Supporting teachers

• Anne McKay - Academic Advisor, Te Puna Ako
• Kamuka Pati - Academic Programme Manager, School of Building Construction
• Sue Emerson - Lead - Academic Programme Manager, School of Community Studies

Excellence in Support: Supporting students

• Adrian Jenkins - Subject Librarian, Learning and Achievement
• Denise McIntyre - Access Coordinator, Access4Success
• Yoshie O'Neill - Learner Outreach Advisor, Student Advisory Team Lead - Language Studies, School of Bridgepoint

Supporting Pacific Learners Award

• Pacific Learning Advisors: Venusi Taumoepeau, Ioane Aleke-Fa'avae, Daisy Bentley-Gray
• Toetu (Tu) Nuualiitia - Student Experience Partner, School of Trades and Services

Contribution and Collaboration Award

• Bachelor of Nursing team: Dr Dianne Roy, Dr Samantha Heath, Leslie Kistan, Vimlesh Shulka, Laurian Wheeler, Gilian Graham, Shobha Johnson, Evelyn Hikuroa, Noreberto Ricacho, Jill Phillips, Sarah Gray, Sahdi Safavi, Robina Mall, Jacqui Jansen,  Elaine Randles, Divya Sharma, Tasneem Rajkotwalo , Anne McKay, Sue Crossan, Kathyrn Dibble-Gallagher, May Tan, Dipti Vora, Christine Adern-Roumagere, Charlotte Bouquet, Frank Reinhold, Pam Williams, Saleshni Nand, Linda Aumua, Mary Liu, Hiroko Hodge, Ruth Liang, Helen Luka, Daisy Bentley-Gray, Nina Pelling, Margaret Evans, Hua Dai, Agnes, Vincent Shepherd, Kate Barry
• IT Desktop team: Asif Fakhruddin, Andrew Powdrell, Andy Brien, Bhavin Patel, Brad Kruger, Mani Vajje, Shazneed Saeed, Thushara Fernando
• Jody Bennett – Communications Partner, Marketing and Communications
• Security team: Andrew Happy, Lee Stokes, Michael Dennison, Clive Webster, Keith Chan Chui, Andrea Lamont, Tania Wihongi, Taani Vehekiti, Toa Faalii, Serena Coe, Pila Fevaliake, Sifa Fevaliake, Greg Weller, Garry Miller

Outstanding Contribution by a Project Team

• Creative Industries Performing and Screen Arts - Northern Campus Move team: Vanessa Byrnes, Michael Miller, Esther Watkins, Samuel Holloway, Aroha Lewin, Jaala Jacobs, Daniel Wagner, Alexandra Whitham, Paul Young, Dale Leyland, Nick Sheppard, Martin Carroll, Will Wallace, Michael Craven, Larry Justice, Sai Yin Leung, Brian Maru, Sharon Steed, Charene Griggs, Daniel Nel, Bronwyn Bradley, Tina Tisdall and Kenny Leong
• Learner Outreach Project: Helena Finau-Hakalo, Grace Zhang, Aki Te'evale, Rolani Moasegi, Yoshie O'Neill, Amy Jesensek
• School of Trades and Service 'Te Rito Mataaho' Pastoral Care Team: Denyse Martin, Sevgi Taylor, Mervyn Paitry, Sharleen Churchward, Rhiannon McNamara and Tu Nuualiitia

Innovation and Enterprise Award

• Cristiaan de Groot - Senior Academic Leader Business and Innovation, School of Creative Industries
• Osteopathy Clinic Staff: Nathalie Dussart, Natasha Jerez-Wildmann, Iain Dexter, Belinda Fellowes, Chris Harcombe, Hamish Syrett, John Cullen, Gill Wiltshire, Gajanan Deshmukh, Kristi Milliken
• Unitec Pathways College: Andrea Thumath, Anaru Parangi, Debbie Loots, Blair Sorensen, John Taufa, Renee Wilkinson, Janette Daunakamakama, Sarah Sommerville, Shar Lewin, Gabby Paki, Ana Pickering, Peter Smeets, Arbin Prasad, Rocxie Ngaro, Jacob Fuemana, Philip Faresa, Hohepa Renata, Michael Freeman, Hector Zinnick, Rudolf Mario, Adam Parkinson, Wayne Holmes, Morgan Look, Paul Oke, Sharnell Aumua
• Virtual Desktop Project Team: James Kelly, Simon Teahan, Mani Vajje, Bevan Brown, Kevin Vitali, Mathew Adams, Keith Campbell, Ed Lin, Peter Reutlinger, Malachy McGarrigle, Morgan Look, Rodger Gibb, Glenn Aguilar, Hung Ngo, Karen Miller

Sustained Outstanding Contribution to Unitec

• Andrew Happy - Manager Security, Infrastructure Operations
• Hung Ngo - Operations Manager Timetabling Office
• Lee Baglow - Head of School, Trades & Services
• Linda Aumua - Head of School, Healthcare & Social Practice
• Associate Professor Liz Rainsbury - Academic Programme Manager, School of Applied Business

Te Noho Kotahitanga Team Award

• Lockdown Loan Laptop team: Annette Pitovao, Melinda Jenkins, Monique Bell, Anushka Jephson, Jessica Rudman, Sophie Humphries, Kevin Toto, Mani Vajje, Andy Brien, Brad Kruger
• Student Central: Jeffrey Wu, Michelle Paki, Lubna Khan, Isabella Gunadjaja, Gabriel Frederikse, Pa Tepairu Tere, Fatin Elier
• Timetabling Office: Hung Ngo, Katrina Kanaris, Al Vega, Kinson Tran, Jenny Tran, Ma. Christina Basobas, Shaan Lad, Harkiran Kaur, Carol Zhang, Tracey Lomas-Heavey, Manali Rathod

Unitec Champion Award

• Hamish Martin - Director, Information Technology
• Linda Aumua - Head of School, Healthcare & Social Practice
• Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan - Director Nga Wai a te Tui and Toni Vaughn - Director Maori Success (Joint finalists)