K-N

A list of the University’s most decorated alumni, including Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, inductees to New Zealand’s Royal Honours system, and other notable achievements where available.

Names are ordered alphabetically by surname, from K-N.

K

Peter Kaiser MNZM

  • King's Birthday Honours 2023: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

Margaret Kawharu MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2012: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori

Dr John Kay MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2018: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the New Zealand Defence Force

Dr Patrick Kelly ONZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children's health

Chris Kelly ONZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to agriculture

Judge Bernard Kendall

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Judge Shonagh Kenderdine QSO

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014

Michelle Kidd QSM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2010: Queen's Service Medal for services to the community

Peter Kiely ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2017: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to New Zealand's interests in the Pacific and the law

Jennifer Cheryl King MNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2011: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Asian community

Au'Birthly Kingi QSM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2009: Received the Queen's Service Medal for services to the Pacific Islands community

Jane Kominik QSO

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2009: Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

L

John La Roche – BE

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 1999

Sumant Lala MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to the Child Cancer Foundation

Dr John Peter Langley ONZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

Gary Langsford MNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to art

Dr Anthony Gerard Lanigan MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to tertiary education and the community

Fa'afua Leavasa-Tautolo ONZM, QSM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Nicholas Ledgard QSO

  • New Year’s Honours 2010: Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to forestry

Nicola Legat ONZM

  • New Year Honours 2018: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the publishing industry

Associate Professor Michele Joy Leggott MNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to poetry

Dr Hylton LeGrice OBE CNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2010: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to ophthalmology, music, and the community

Dr Lester Levy CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to health and education

Dr Renee Wen-Wei Liang MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2018: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts

Roseanne Liang – Arts and Science

  • Young Alumna of the Year 2014 Filmmaker, writer and director of the feature film My Wedding and Other Secrets

Christopher Liddell CNZM – BE

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2003
  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and philanthropy

Bridget Liddell MNZM, CFA

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014

Emeritus Professor Sir Graham Liggins – PhD

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 1998

Dr Libby Limbrick MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Associate Professor Rae De Lisle MNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Lois Livingston QSM

  • New Year’s Honours 2017: The Queen's Service Medal for services to local government and the arts

Tim Livingstone MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the community

Elsie Locke – BA

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 1996

Tara Lorigan MNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and women

Linn Lorkin MNZM

  • King's Birthday Honours 2023: Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music

Sir Pat Lynch KNZM, QSO

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

M

Catherine MacDonald QSM

  • New Year’s Honours 2017: The Queen's Service Medal for services to music

Sir Christopher Mace CNZM KNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to science and education

Dr Sir Scott Macfarlane KNZM

  • New Year's Honours 2024: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health

Dr Norman Maclean MNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Professor Roderick MacLeod MNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Judith Macready MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2017: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to hospice care

The Honourable Steven Maharey CNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a Member of Parliament

Dr Semisi Ma'ia'i QSM CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Samoan community

The Rt Hon Tuilaepa Malielegaoi – BCom, MCom

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2009
  • Prime Minister of Samoa since 1998
  • First Samoan to gain a master’s degree in Commerce

Heather Lynette Thelma Maloney MNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community

Moana Maniapoto MNZM

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2019

Professor Jonathan Mane-Wheoki CNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014: Awarded for services to the arts

The Honourable Dr Wayne Daniel Mapp QSO

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services as a Member of Parliament

Dr Diane Lysette Mara MNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Pacific Islands community

Dr Ralph Marrett MNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the New Zealand Defence Force

Marya Martin – DipMus

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2005

Sister Margaret Martin QSM

  • New Year’s Honours 2010: Queen's Service Medal for services to the New Zealand Fire Service

Peter Masfen CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and philanthropy

Dr John Matthews CNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2010: Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to medicine and the community

John Matthews CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the arts and engineering

Donald Maurice MNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014

Dame Lesley Max DNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2010: Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children

Dr Julie Maxton – Law

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2014 
  • Appointed Executive Director of the Royal Society in 2011
  • Former Registrar at the University of Oxford

Dr John Mayhew ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sports medicine

Judge Sharon McAuslan QSO

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to the judiciary

Dr Dianne McCarthy ONZM CNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to science, business and women

Beverley McConnell MNZM, QSM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Robert Neill McConnell, QSM

  • New Year's Honours 2000

Professor Lesley Margaret Elizabeth McCowan CNZM ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2016: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health
  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health

Honourable Murray McCully MP, CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Dr Ron McDowall ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2012: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to science

Don McGlashan – BA (1982)

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2012
  • Celebrated New Zealand songwriter
  • Multiple entries in the Australasian Performing Right Association’s 100 best New Zealand songs of all time
  • Two APRA Silver Scroll Awards
  • Singer and main songwriter in The Mutton Birds

Dr Kim McGregor QSO

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014

Douglas McKay ONZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Kay Therese McKelvie QSO

  • New Year Honours 2009: Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to business and health

Professor Elizabeth McKinley ONZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Ian McKinnon – BCom, DipEd

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2005

Honourable Jim McLay CNZM QSO – LLB (1968)

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2013
  • New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York
  • Served as Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Attorney General, and Minister of Justice

The Honourable Sir James McLay KNZM, QSO

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Commander Andrew McMillan DSD

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2010: New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration

Professor Samuel Stuart McNaughton ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

Sir James Henry Peter McNeish KNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature

Dr Sidney “Hirini” Moko Mead – BA, MA

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 1999

Professor Graham Mellsop CNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Dame Rosanne Meo OBE DNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2012: Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business

Professor Alan Forbes Merry ONZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medicine, in particular anaesthesia

Timothy Michael Metcalfe QSM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2011: Queen's Service Medal for services to the community

Toni Millar QSM, JP

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Mr Michael Miller QSM

  • New Year's Honours 2024: Queen's Service Medal for services to rural health

Dr Tom Miller CNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medical research

Wayne Fortune Mills MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

Dr James Milroy CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2012: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori language

Prabodh Mishra QSM, JP

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Fady Mishriki – BE (2005), BCom (2005)

  • Young Alumnus of the Year 2015
  • Specialist in the deployment of wireless power systems
  • Co–founded
  • PowerbyProxi in 2007 PowerbyProxi developed from a student project in wireless power at the University of Auckland

David Mitchell – BArch (1964)

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2016
  • Awarded the New Zealand Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 2005
  • Creative Director of New Zealand’s first–ever exhibition at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2014

Dr David Mitchell ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2017: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

Tara Moala MNZM

  • King's Birthday Honours 2023: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community and environment

Gary Monk JP, ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Professor John Moorfield CNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2010: Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services to Māori language education

Dr Kevin Moran ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2015

Dr Johan Hendrik Morreau MNZM

  • New Year Honours 2009: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to community health

John Morris ONZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to education

Sandra Morris ONZM

  • King's Birthday Honours 2023: For services as an illustrator and to education

Hugh Morrison CNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2010: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business

Roger John Moses ONZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2009: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education

Elspeth Eleanor Mount QSM

  • New Year’s Honours 2011: Queen's Service Medal for services to the community

Mr Louis Munden Hooper DSD

  • New Year’s Honours 2024: New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration for services to the New Zealand Defence Force

Sir Doug Myers CBE KNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2010: Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the community

N

Dr Camille Nakhid MNZM

  • New Year Honours 2018: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to ethnic communities and education

Rosemary Nalden – BA

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2003

Deirdre Neville-White MNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Nixon Dr Garry Nixon MNZM

  • Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rural health

Nick Nobilo ONZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2015

Rosslyn Noonan – MA

  • Distinguished Alumni Award 2002

Dr Matteo de Nora CNZM

  • Queen's Birthday Honours 2011: Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to yachting and medicine

Anthony James Norman MNZM

  • New Year’s Honours 2013: For services to the community