Staff and alumni achievements recognised in 2024 New Year Honours
3 January 2024
Congratulations to Waipapa Taumata Rau staff and alumni whose work has been acknowledged in the New Year Honours.
University of Auckland staff and alumni were among those whose achievements were acknowledged in the New Year Honours.
Leading the list, becoming a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, was alumnus and former staff member Dr Scott Macfarlane, for his services to health.
Sir Scott's work as a paediatric oncologist has transformed the treatment of children with cancer for the past 45 years. He was a leading light in co-ordinating a national approach to child cancer.
Sir Scott, who retired in 2021, told RNZ the award came out of the blue.
"One of my immediate thoughts was huge gratitude to people who had nominated me for the honour, because I had felt it was a huge privilege to work with so many incredibly talented and caring and skilled individuals over the years."
Read the full citation here and also the RNZ story that includes Sir Scott.
COMPANIONS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT (CNZM)
STAFF
Professor Brian Anderson (Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences)
For services to paediatrics and anaesthesia
Brian has advocated for and led the development of paediatric intensive care and anaesthesia in New Zealand for more than 30 years.
He is a paediatric anaesthetist and intensive care specialist. He was a founding consultant at Auckland’s Starship Hospital and is one of two doctors who co-established the Hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Brian, an alumnus of the University, is a professor of anaesthesiology.
Dr Vanessa Beavis (Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences)
For services to anaesthesia
An honorary senior lecturer, Vanessa helped establish an anaesthesia service in Auckland to facilitate New Zealand-based access for people requiring a liver transplant. She has held a number of clinical leadership roles including at Auckland City Hospital.
Read the full citation.
Dr Kevin Trenberth (Faculty of Science)
For services to geophysics
Kevin is a distinguished scholar at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research located in Boulder, Colorado, and an honorary academic in the Faculty of Science at Auckland. He is among the top 20 highly cited authors in geophysics and is regularly called on by the media for his wide-ranging knowledge, including of climate change.
Read the full citation
Read the UniNews profile about Kevin.
COMPANIONS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT (CNZM)
ALUMNI
David Beeche
For services to sports administration
David is a Business alumnus who has been chief executive officer of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, leading teams from both New Zealand and Australia to deliver the event.
Read the full citation
Pip Cheshire
For services to architecture
Pip is an architecture alumnus and former staff member. He jointly founded Jasmax Architects and later Cheshire Architects, leading the transformation of the Britomart renewal project. Among his many projects, he helped design Te Papa Rongarewa and the University’s award-winning Leigh Marine Reserve campus at Goat Island.
He told 1 News: "I think at its heart, architecture has to serve the community and have a clear notion of how things might be better."
Read more in his citation.
Watch the 1 News story about Pip Cheshire
OFFICERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT (ONZM)
STAFF
Professor Frank Bloomfield
For services to neonatology
Frank Bloomfield is a professor of neonatology who has made a significant contribution to improved health outcomes for mothers and newborn babies, especially through research on perinatal nutrition.
Frank worked in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Auckland City Hospital from 2003 to 2020. He was director of the Liggins Institute for eight years. He was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) in 2023.
Associate Professor James Gregory Anson (Faculty of Science)
For Services to exercises sciences and neuroscience
Greg has been an instrumental figure in exercise sciences over 47 years and has contributed significantly to establishing the field of human movement neuroscience in New Zealand, a field in which he has been influential internationally. He was Head of Department of Exercise Sciences at the University from 2010 to 2020, and head of the Tāmaki Campus for six years.
OFFICERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT (ONZM)
ALUMNI
Rosemary Cathcart QSM
For services to gifted children
Rosemary is an arts and education alumna. She advocated for the Ministry of Education to change the official policy on gifted education in New Zealand, which led to the Ministerial Working Party on Gifted Education, which was incorporated into New Zealand schools today.
Barbara Dreaver
For services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities
Barbara is an Arts alumna who has become an award-winning and fearless investigative journalist who has dedicated her career to highlighting issues affecting Pacific communities for more than 30 years.
Read Barbara's full citation
Watch the 1 News story about Barbara
MEMBERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT (MNZM)
STAFF
Professor Yvonne Underhill-Sem (Faculty of Arts)
For services to tertiary education and Pacific development
Yvonne is a Pacific development geographer, undertaking research and teaching Pacific Studies at the University.
Associate Professor Tamasailau Suaalii (Faculty of Arts)
For services to education
Tamasailau is a Samoan academic who is also an alumna of the University. She has contributed to New Zealand academia and wider Pacific research since 1994 . She is an associate professor in criminology.
She serves as a commissioner in the New Zealand Criminal Cases Review Commission, as a kaitakawaenga for and member of the Pacific Reference Group of the New Zealand Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, and as a member of the Peter McKenzie Project Committee of the JR McKenzie Trust.
MEMBERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT (MNZM)
ALUMNI
Margaret (Marnie) Barrell
For services to hymn writing
Arts alumna Marnie is a music teacher, lay preacher and musician at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Christchurch and has been hymn writing since 1986.
Tama-o-Rangi (Tama) Waipara
For services to Māori music
Tama (Ngāti Ruapani, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou) is a Music alumna and former staff member. He is a cultural arts advocate, composer and performer and has been the Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival since founding it in 2019.
Read Tama's full citation
Watch the 1 News story featuring Tama.
Lindsay Wood
For services to environmental sustainability and climate-change awareness
Architecture alumnus.
Read Lindsay's full citation
Susan Jane Sinclair
For services to art and education
Susan Jane Sinclair (Jane) is a professional wildlife and landscape artist who has also taught painting for more than 30 years. She is a Creative Arts and Industries alumna.
Read Jane's full citation
Maryan Street
For services as a Member of Parliament and to human and democratic rights
Maryan is a Business alumna and former staff member. She is an advocate for human and democratic rights and was a List Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2014. She commenced her involvement with workers’ rights as a Post-Primary Teachers’ Association officeholder early in her teaching career and has had a longstanding involvement in women’s rights as a feminist activist.
Read Maryan's full citation
QUEEN'S SERVICE MEDAL
Susan Jordan
For services to seniors and dance
Former staff member, Susan founded the Dance Studies programme at the University. She has spent five decades contributing to dance as a performer, choreographer, teacher, writer, and academic.
Read Susan's full citation
Dr Michael Miller
For services to rural health
Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences alumnus Michael has been a general practitioner in Whangamatā for 33 years, advocating for improved health outcomes for patients living in rural communities.
NEW ZEALAND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE DECORATION
Lieutenant Commander Louis Munden-Hooper
For services to the New Zealand Defence Force
Louis, 35, is an Engineering alumnus (mechanical engineering). He has been a key contributor in the development, delivery and integration of the new tanker, HMNZS Aotearoa, for the Royal New Zealand Navy.