Leading law professor blazes the trail   18 Aug 2016

Leading law professor blazes the trail for New Zealand’s future Maori lawyers

Professor Jacinta Ruru (Raukawa, Ngati Ranginui, Pakeha) from the University of Otago’s Faculty of Law, received New Zealand’s highest accolade for tertiary teaching at parliament tonight.

Presented by Rt Hon John Key, the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award acknowledges Jacinta’s sustained excellence in tertiary teaching to create a place for Maori to stand and be heard within New Zealand’s legal system.

As the first Professor of Law of Maori descent in New Zealand and the only Maori Law Faculty staff member at Otago University since 1999, Jacinta is designing a new experience for students learning law. Her strategy brings greater focus to Maori experiences of the law, Maori relationships with land and Maori challenges for change in the classroom.

She recognises that education is key to achieving positive transformational change and works tirelessly to establish a safe place for Maori students to learn and succeed. Her ultimate aim is to increase Maori involvement in law at a higher level.

In addition to being founder and director of an annual year-long programme for Otago’s Maori law students: Te haka; Building Maori Leaders in Law, supervising PhD students and undertaking the role of Kaiawhina Maori in the Law Faculty (primary support person for Maori law students), Jacinta’s accomplishments include:
• Two Fulbright Scholarships
• 90 publications promoting research-informed teaching used as teaching material in law schools around New Zealand
• Established the Maori Law Moot Competition at Otago
• Co-designed a new multidisciplinary Maori programme focused on providing solutions to transform Maori learning
• Founded and co-chairs Te Poutama Maori (Otago’s Maori Academic Staff Caucus) to encourage Maori research, teaching and service excellence
• Co-director of Nga Pae o te Maramatanga, New Zealand’s Maori Centre of Research Excellence

She is described by colleagues as “incredibly generous in sharing her teaching experiences and expertise”. A former student comments, “In succeeding at the highest level and carving out a unique niche in her field, she gives others the confidence to do the same.”

The Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards celebrates New Zealand’s finest tertiary teachers - as recognised by their organisations, colleagues, learners and broader communities. The parliamentary dinner was jointly hosted by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Hon Steven Joyce, and Dr Jian Yang, Chairperson of the Education and Science Committee. Ako Aotearoa – The National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, administers the awards. The Centre aims to recognise and celebrate excellence in tertiary teaching and share good practice that has proven benefit for learners.

Ako Aotearoa’s Director, Dr Peter Coolbear says, “It’s a great pleasure and privilege to host these awards. Each year this gives us an opportunity to celebrate tertiary teachers and teaching that is truly student-focused and absolutely world class.”

A total of twelve awards were presented tonight for sustained excellence in tertiary teaching. Two were presented under the Kaupapa Maori category (including Jacinta) and a further nine in the General category. All Sustained Excellence winners receive $20,000 and the Supreme Award winner receives an additional $10,000.

The other awards were presented to:

• Dr Judith Bateup
Senior Teaching Fellow, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago

• Dr Margaret Brunton
Associate Professor, School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University

• Associate Professor Martin East
Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Auckland

• Dr Megan Gibbons
Head of School, Institute of Sport and Adventure, Otago Polytechnic

• Associate Professor Tracey McIntosh Kaupapa Maori category
Faculty of Arts, The University of Auckland

• Dr Azra Moeed
Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Victoria University of Wellington

• Richard Nyhof
Principal Lecturer, School of Engineering, Otago Polytechnic

• James Oldfield
Senior Lecturer, Learning Capability Developer, Unitec Institute of Technology

• Professor Jacinta Ruru Kaupapa Maori category
Faculty of Law, The University of Otago

• Matthew Thompson
Senior Lecturer, Architecture, Building and Engineering, Otago Polytechnic

• Professor Darryl Tong
Department of Oral Diagnostics and Surgical Sciences, The University of Otago

• Dr Rachel Zajac
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, The University of Otago

Read more about the Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards and 2016 winners.

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