Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM) is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora (Te Aitanga a Hauiti, Ngāi Tūhoe) to the position of Co-Director of NPM, and Professor of Māori Studies based at Te Wānanga o Waipapa, University of Auckland.

Professor Nikora is currently a Professor in Kaupapa Māori Psychology at the University of Waikato and founding director of the university’s influential and successful Māori and Psychology Research Unit, and has an outstanding record of Māori research excellence. She has been the Co-Theme Leader of NPM’s Mauri Ora programme for the past 18 months and has had an extensive and celebrated research and academic career, working in community, social and Indigenous psychologies, with a specific focus on Māori wellbeing and self-determination.

Linda will bring her vast skills and experience to NPM, working alongside Co-Director Professor Jacinta Ruru, our nationwide senior management team, theme leaders, research network and the Auckland based secretariat in advancing our collective vision of Māori Leading New Zealand into the Future. She has consistently carried out innovative work throughout her career, working with NPM on projects which have examined subjects as diverse as modern tangihanga practice and the unintended impacts of Te Reo Māori language revitalisation, and together with her contemporaries throughout our research network she continues to lead and advance Māori research knowledge, contributing to wider discussions on Indigenous wellbeing and cultural identity, and increasing our collective awareness of ongoing issues and possible solutions.

Professor Ruru said; “We are all very pleased that Linda will be joining NPM as Co-Director. She has a well-deserved reputation of working amongst and for her communities, and her skills, experience and academic excellence will be invaluable as we move forward and forge new pathways over the coming years. I am looking forward to working with her to lead, deliver and share Maori research excellence and knowledge that contributes positively to our communities and nation.”

NPM Board Chair Tā Tīpene O’Regan has also welcomed confirmation of the appointment commenting that “Linda has a strong understanding of the contemporary research environment, and has been a mentor to a generation of Māori academics. She has extensive expertise in project development and funding processes, as well as deep community ties across the country and we expect this wide ranging experience to add to the impact and reach of NPM in the years ahead. We are thrilled by the appointment.”

Professor Ruru continues; “Tā Tīpene and I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank outgoing Co-Director Professor Tracey McIntosh who has been appointed Professor of Indigenous Studies and Co-Head of Te Wānanga o Waipapa at the University of Auckland. Tracey’s contribution to NPM has been immense; she has expertly guided the centre to considerable success in recent years and her wise counsel for the new research leadership team has been invaluable. We will all miss her day-to-day contribution and presence here at NPM, but are grateful that she will be close by and remain an integral part of our network into the future.”

Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora will commence her new position as Co-Director on 20 October 2017.