University of Otago

Nau mai ki Te Wiki o te Reo Māori! 🎉

➡️ Kicking off this week with a waiata and kapa haka learning session 🙌 Ka wani kē!

There's nothing rubbish about this pastime 🗑️

Picking up trash in the weekend is a cool way to socialise with friends while making a difference to the local environment, says 'Keep Dunedin Beautiful Pod Award' recipient Kate Moss-Mason 💁‍♀️🚮 Ka mau te wehi!

Trash gathering wins award | University of Otago Winning an award that recognises her conservation efforts was a nice way for Kate Moss-Mason to wrap up several years of study.

🎙️ Introducing iOU, a new podcast highlighting the out-of-the-ordinary jobs of our inspirational Otago alumni 🤩🎓

Episode 1 is out now and features Kim Arcand, who is a visualistation scientist and technologist for NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory ✨ Ka mau te wehi! Kim's job is all about telling the story of space and stars, helping to create an understanding of our universe 🌌

Listen to her chat about her Otago PhD and current work here ⤵️
🔗

iOU from the Alumni team at the University of Otago.Join us as we explore some of the out-of-the-ordinary day jobs of our inspirational, global alumni community.

Are you in bed? Put your phone down!

Actually, read this first 🔗 https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/keep-devices-out-of-bed-for-better-sleep-study

Here's a quick look at some of our research & commentary highlights from the past fortnight ⬇️

➡️ Climate change, community, kai: How extreme weather impacts Māori food systems: https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/03-09-2024/climate-change-community-kai-how-extreme-weather-impacts-maori-food-systems?itm_source=spinoff-homepage-layouts&itm_medium=sponsored-1

➡️ 3 steps NZ can take to resolve its confused stance on Gaza: https://theconversation.com/principles-or-raw-power-3-steps-nz-can-take-to-resolve-its-confused-stance-on-gaza-238306

➡️ Vital green spaces are disappearing in NZ cities - what can central and local government do? https://theconversation.com/vital-green-spaces-are-disappearing-in-nz-cities-what-can-central-and-local-government-do-237861

➡️ A new species of pāua has been identified off the North Island: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/new-species-of-paua-found

➡️ A new online climate impact monitor aims to demystify the action – or inaction – of Aotearoa New Zealand’s top carbon emitters: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/site-brings-carbon-emission-clarity

🚨 Applications to study a Bachelor of Radiation Therapy in 2025 closes this Sunday 15 September! 🚨

For Otago tauira Ellen Emerson, building rapport with patients has been one of the most rewarding parts of studying towards a Bachelor of Radiation Therapy (BRT).

“We’re with our patients through a very stressful but important period in their treatment and sometimes, even as a student, I’ve been the most consistent member of the treatment team and have been able to build strong connections with them,” Ellen says.

“To be able to make that experience as positive as possible can make a huge difference to our patients and their families."

Find out more about the Bachelor of Radiation Therapy programme here ☟

Where technology meets caring | University of Otago Otago is the only New Zealand university offering a Bachelor of Radiation Therapy (BRT), but what do radiation therapists do and what does it take to become one?

We are excited to welcome Dr Liana MacDonald as the inaugural Chair of Māori, Moriori and Indigenous Peace Studies, as well as Co-Director of Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa - National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies 👏 Ka wani kē!

Liana says she was interested in the position because it places Māori and Indigenous perspectives at the centre of teaching and research:

“On a personal level, I'm looking forward to learning more about my Kāi Tahu whakapapa. He uri ahau nō Ngāti Waewae me Ngāi Tūāhuriri ki te taha o tōku pāpā.”

Otago announces inaugural Chair of Māori, Moriori and Indigenous Peace Studies | University of Otago The University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka welcomes a new leadership appointment to Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (TAOR).

Seven tauira recently took part in the Tāmanu Programme, a month-long programme for Pacific tauira to develop their skills in biomedical research! 👏

Tāmanu Programme Coordinator Cam Young says it was a privilege to witness the students grow throughout the month:

“If they only take one thing away from the programme, I hope it is the self-belief that they are capable, talented young scientists who can effect real positive change in our Pacific communities.” 🙌

Pacific biomedical programme piloted last year grows | University of Otago A biomedical research programme for Pacific tauira piloted last year has seen more than double the number of participants complete the programme in its second year.

If you're looking to custom-build something on campus, Craig Steel is the one to call 👇

Over the past few years, Craig has found himself taking on odd jobs and figuring out how to make requests for bespoke equipment happen 👏

His latest project? Building a frame to weigh people underwater for research in the School of Physical Education, Sport & Exercise Sciences 👀

The nuts and bolts of research | University of Otago If you’re looking to custom-build something, Craig Steel is the one to call.

Doctors from rural areas of Aotearoa recently traveled to the Cook Islands for a workshop to exchange clinical, professional and cultural experiences 👏🩺

Te Marae Ora Director of Primary Healthcare Dr Te Ariki Faireka says they were happy to have the workshop back in the Cook Islands 👇

"We welcome the close collaboration between our different organisations and the positive outcomes that come out of these types of workshops.”

Continuing Medical Education workshop returns to Cook Islands | University of Otago Twenty-four doctors from rural areas around Aotearoa New Zealand were able to share experiences with their Cook Islands counterparts at a workshop held in Rarotonga last week.

The Robertson Library's new bilingual closing announcement features the voices of Otago tauira Jimmy Robinson and alumna Tāwini White 🔊📚 He mahi tino pai tēnei!

Tāwini, who recorded the te reo Māori component in the Kāi Tahu dialect, says it's important for the language to be normalised, valued, visible, and heard:

“It’s only right that we include te reo Māori in all areas and ensure that it’s a living language through every opportunity possible.” 👏

Closing time never sounded so sweet | University of Otago Night owls may have noticed something a bit different in the Robertson Library at closing time recently.

The Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand has published an issue dedicated to the late Professor Ewan Fordyce and his outstanding 40-year career as a paleontologist, researcher and educator 👏 Ka mau te wehi!

Friends, family and colleagues gathered to celebrate Ewan's work and the launch of the journal this week in Otago's Geology Museum 👇

Journal celebrates geology legend | University of Otago The University of Otago’s Geology Museum is filled with fossil treasures including many discovered by the late Professor Ewan Fordyce during his outstanding 40-year career.

Our new issue of Te Pānui Taura, our postgrad zine, is here ✨🗞️

In this issue: '80s movie nostalgia, a look at our 3MT® winners, graduate profiles & more 👏👇

Te Pānui Taura, Issue 5, September 2024 Read Te Pānui Taura, Issue 5, September 2024 by University of Otago on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

September's issue of Te Aka Tauira, our undergrad zine, is here ✨🗞️

This month's issue features the Otago's Dynasty Cheerleaders winning gold, an Arts & Commerce student rowing 900km down the Zambezi River for charity, a FYHS student who is also the highest-rated disc golfer in NZ & more! 👇

Te Aka Tauira – Issue 5, September 24 The University of Otago's undergraduate student zine

Ngā mihi nui to Arung Mayapada for winning the People's Choice Award at Otago's recent Three Minute Thesis Grand Final! 👏 Arung wowed the 3MT® judges and audience with her passionate presentation of her PhD topic - Do UK charities perform better with women trustees?' 👇

"When I am passionate about something, that energy just comes out naturally. I guess you could say I am an extrovert in disguise.” 🤗

3MT® People’s Choice: an extrovert in disguise | University of Otago Arung Mayapada is an extrovert by stealth.

Otago Medical School Senior Lecturer Dr Jon Cornwall will be playing a key role in a project that was awarded €$2.4 million from Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation 👏🤝 Koia kei a koe!

This project revolves around training doctoral candidates with cutting-edge extended reality technologies, including augmented, mixed and virtual reality platforms 🤯

Otago academic part of global doctoral training project | University of Otago An Otago academic will play a key role in a multi-million dollar international project to train doctoral candidates in the development of cutting-edge digital technologies in anatomy.

3 puffin fun facts:

💁‍♂️ they can flap their wings up to 400 times per minute
💁‍♂️ they can fly up to 88km per hour
💁‍♂️ they can dive down to 60m underwater

September's Photo of the Month was brought to you by Senior Student Administrator Simon Roberts, taken in the protected sanctuary of Lunga in the Treshnish Isles, Scotland 📷✨

“I enjoyed the challenge of trying to capture the puffins' expressions and interactions, their character and humour.”

Footloose. Sixteen Candles. Gremlins. Ghostbusters 👉 These iconic movies all turn 40 this year 😲🎬

We recently caught up with Media, Film and Communications senior lecturer Dr Rosemary Overell to chat about the power of nostalgia 👇

Why 'Sixteen Candles' is still lit at 40 | University of Otago Footloose. Sixteen Candles. Gremlins. Ghostbusters. What do all of these movies have in common? They turn 40 this year.

Campus is in full bloom as we kick off mid-sem break 🌸🥰

Otago ophthalmologist Dr Francesc March has literally gone to the edge of the earth for his latest eye opening research 👨‍🚀👀

🔗 https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/microgravity-mission-for-eye-health

Here's a quick look at some of our research & commentary highlights from the past fortnight ⬇️

➡️ Rafts of garbage, help and other debris could transport alien invaders to a warming Antarctica: https://theconversation.com/rafts-of-garbage-kelp-and-other-debris-could-transport-alien-invaders-to-a-warming-antarctica-237226
➡️ Mistletoes home to invertebrates: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/mistletoes-home-to-invertebrates
➡️ Health burden of alcohol highlighted in report: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/health-burden-of-alcohol-highlighted-in-report
➡️ Viruses can work where antibiotics don't: https://theconversation.com/viruses-can-work-where-antibiotics-dont-new-research-tells-us-more-about-how-they-fight-bacteria-236498

There's a new community garden on campus 🌱🌿

This collaboration between the Sustainability Office, Human Nutrition, Pacific Islands Centre, Property & Campus Development, and Agricultural Innovation aims to feed students, supply the campus food truck, and let students teach their peers to grow food 💁‍♂️💚 Ka mau te wehi!

Gardening with purpose | University of Otago New collaborative gardens on the Dunedin campus aim to show students the journey from garden to plate, supply a campus food truck, let students teach their peers to grow food, help Pacific students feel at home, and feed students.

Ngā mihi nui to Briar Mills for winning first place at Otago's Three Minute Thesis Masters competition 2024! 👏🥳

Briar's nation-leading mahi is the first in Aotearoa to make an indepth examination of college food waste, for which she donned a hazmat suit and sorted through the bins at Otago's 14 colleges. Her research provides invaluable insights into NZ's overall food waste profile and impact 💪😤 Ka wani kē!

Waste not – food research is a winner | University of Otago Sorting through food waste bins for about a month at Otago’s 14 colleges – wearing a protective hazmat suit – for nation-leading research has won Human Nutrition student Briar Mills the University’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Master competition this year.

Ngā mihi nui to Otago's Dynasty cheerleaders for taking out gold at the recent Australasian Majors cheer competition! 🙌👏

Despite breaking her foot a couple months ago at training, Otago University Cheerleading Club President Rebecca Stewart rallied and put in the mahi with her teammates to beat out the reigning champs from Canterbury University 💪😤 Koia kei a koutou!

“The nature of the sport means you need to work closely in sync with the other athletes to achieve what you need to do.
“It requires a lot of trust and is very much one for all and all for one. Without the contributions from each person on the team we wouldn’t be able to have such a strong team.”

Interested in cheerleading? More info on the competitive team and the recreational team here ⬇️

S-U-C-C-E-S-S for Dynasty cheer squad | University of Otago Otago’s Dynasty cheerleaders deserve a cheer squad of their own after taking out gold at a recent Australasian Majors event.

Congratulations to doctoral candidate Patrick Mazzocco for recently winning the Doctoral category of Otago's Three Minute Thesis Grand Final! Patrick impressed the judges with his speech on the benefits of taking a career break 💼🏆

Next up 👉 submitting a video recording of his presentation in the international Asia-Pacific 3MT® and Matariki 3MT® competitions 👏 Karawhiua!

'The Career Break Paradox' wins Otago's Three Minute Thesis | University of Otago For some people, it may well have been the ‘worst year of their life’, but it seems they are still in favour of the concept of a career break.

Entries are open for our annual creative writing competition! ✨📝

Competition Judge and 2024 Robert Burns Fellow Mikaela Nyman has three pieces of advice to help you feel confident in your entries 👇

💡 Whatever your subject or original idea is, make sure you see it through to the very end. Does the text hang together? Does it make sense?

✍️ Pay attention to the overarching narrative arc as well as each paragraph and sentence. Avoid clichés and strive to come up with original turns of phrase.

🎶 Read your work out loud, listen to the rhythm, the music. If you stumble, you might need to revise that particular section.

All the details you need to know about entering Writer 2024 are here 🔗 https://www.otago.ac.nz/english-linguistics/programmes/writing/competition

From physiotherapy to art history? 🤔 We recently caught up with two Otago alumnae who had very different journeys to becoming curators at Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand 💁‍♂️

Check out the kōrero with Dr Katie Cooper, Curator NZ Histories and Cultures, and Dr Rebecca Rice, Curator Historical NZ Art ⬇️

Two journeys, one destination | University of Otago Kōrero with Te Papa curators Katie Cooper and Rebecca RiceIn conversation with Dr Katie Cooper, Curator New Zealand Histories and Cultures, and Dr Rebecca Rice, Curator Historical New Zealand Art, two alumnae, who talk about their very different paths from Otago to Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Z...

In recognition of her outstanding career as one of New Zealand’s most dedicated and passionate palaeontologists, Department of Geology’s Honorary Professor Daphne Lee has been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor 👏 Ka wani kē!

Daphne’s momentous teaching and research career began as a student in the Department of Geology in 1969 and has continued to this day ⛏️🙌

“I have always been driven to explain what is going on in the landscape, and unravelling the story behind why plants and animals are here and where they have come from.”

Geology’s fossil expert awarded Emeritus Professor | University of Otago In recognition of her outstanding career as one of New Zealand’s most dedicated and passionate palaeontologists, Department of Geology’s Honorary Professor Daphne Lee has been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor.

Dr Keresoma Leaupepe graduated on Saturday with a PhD from the School of Biomedical Sciences 🧑‍🎓

His research looked into the efficacy of turmeric root as a treatment for people with gout. Reflecting on his 12 years in Dunedin, Keresoma says he enjoyed how comprehensive his education was 👇

“I love the broad opportunity biomedical science creates. Together, they have many possibilities for health research.” 👏

On a mission for Pacific gout sufferers | University of Otago A PhD graduate is on a mission for Pacific gout sufferers. Having witnessed first-hand the physical and financial pain of conventional gout medications in Samoa, Dr Keresoma Leaupepe is determined to find alternative treatments.

Otago economics and geography tauira Jack Caldwell recently took an adventure of a lifetime: rowing 900km down the jeopardy-laden waters of the Zambezi River to raise money for clean water charities in Central Africa 😲🚣

The Row Zambezi mission raised a whopping £100,000 for freshwater charities, with an additional NZ$8,500 raised by Jack via his Givealittle page 🙌 Ka mau te wehi!

Rowing for good | University of Otago While most of his Otago peers were doing nothing more challenging over winter than surviving on two-minute noodles, Jack Caldwell was suffering heatstroke, drinking water from a filth-rich African river, and playing dodgems with hippos and crocodiles.