Celebrating success

Kya Raina Lal

Kya Raina Lal from the AUT Law School has been named as a QECT 100 Young Leaders Awardee 2026 by the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Trust.

Nikki Taylor

Alumna Nikki Taylor, who graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in International Hospitality Management in 2013, has just released her new book Is This It?

Maria Gill

Creative writing alumna Maria Gill is the author of A Flame in the Dark, a young adult historical novel about WWII resistance fighter Nancy Wake.

Erika Holm

Artist and AUT 3D lab technician Erika Holm is a 2026 recipient of an Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard award for visual arts.

Tony Guo

Artist, AUT lecturer and alumnus Tony Guo has received an Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard award for visual arts.

Dr Donna Mariana Morrison

Dr Donna Mariana Morrison (Te Arawa) wrote the script for the movie Sgt. Haane, based on her doctoral thesis.

Dr Siobhan Harvey

Dr Siobhan Harvey, a senior lecturer in creative writing, had her ninth book – What We Remember, What We Forget – published by Otago University Press.

Professor Khylee Quince

Professor Khylee Quince, the dean of the AUT Law School, delivered the Napier Pilot City Trust’s John Robson Memorial Lecture.

Katie Furze

Master of Creative Writing alumna Katie Furze, who graduated from AUT in 2019, has a new book, ‘Kekeno, Curious Explorer’, launching on 1 May.

Associate Professor Mani Poshdar

Associate Professor Mani Poshdar from the School of Future Environments is now the co-lead of the Lean Construction task group.

Professor Sebastian Leuzinger

Professor Sebastian Leuzinger from the School of Science has been selected to be on the Royal Society Marsden Panel (EEB) this year.

Professor Erica Hinckson (2026)

Professor Erica Hinckson recently collected the prestigious Nobel Sustainability Trust medal in Melbourne.

Dr Lincoln Dam

Dr Lincoln Dam received a research award for his research on Asian identities and their relationships with Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi.

Shu Wang

AUT employability relationship manager Shu Wang was appointed to the Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel with Auckland Council.

Deborah Manning

Deborah Manning, a senior lecturer in the AUT Law School, has been recognised as one of Australasia’s leading female lawyers.

Professor Heike Schänzel

Professor Heike Schänzel from the School of Hospitality and Tourism is the lead editor of the recently published Handbook on Children and Family Tourism.

Professor Brett Cowan

Professor Brett Cowan, dean of the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, is joining the inaugural board of Research Funding New Zealand.

AUT Student Medical Centre

The AUT Student Medical Centre team was recognised for their contribution to youth health by the Auckland Primary Health Organisation (PHO).

Dr Caroline Oliver

PhD alumna and clinical biotechnologist Dr Caroline Oliver received a New Zealand Order of Merit for her groundbreaking approach to cancer treatment.

Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh (McCauley)

Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh (McCauley) has been appointed as Communication and Information Commissioner for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO.

Francis Leaf

Francis Leaf, collections advisor for Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services at AUT, won the Mere Mygind Wahine Toa Award for 2025.

Kim Tairi

University librarian Kim Tairi joins senior lecturer Richard Pamatatau as a trustee for the New Zealand Book Awards NZBA Trust.

Associate Professor Stephanie Rossouw

Associate Professor Stephanie Rossouw is part of a global team of researchers that will examine the association between social media and wellbeing.

Dr Anca Yallop

Anca Yallop from the Business School has been awarded a $395,002 grant from the Health Research Council as part of the AI in Healthcare Funding Initiative.

Dr Alex Plum

Dr Alex Plum from the AUT Business School and the NZ Policy Research Institute has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Health Research Council.

Dr Emma Davison

Chemistry lecturer & cancer researcher Dr Emma Davison has secured almost $400,000 over 3 years from the Health Research Council Emerging Researcher Fund.

Associate Professor Armagan Sabetian

Associate Professor Armagan Sabetian has been appointed as a research committee chair for the Coastal People: Southern Skies Centre of Research Excellence.

Professor Lindsey White

Professor Lindsey White has received a $1 million MBIE Smart Ideas grant to further investigate how to remediate arsenic contamination in seaweed.

Dr Chen Chen

The film “Little Potato” by Dr Chen Chen, from the School of Art and Design, recently won the Best New Zealand Short in the 2025 Doc Edge Festival.

Sitong (Michelle) Chen & Matt Raskovic

Dr Sitong (Michelle) Chen and Associate Professor Matt Raskovic from the AUT Business School have been awarded the Best Education Paper by CUIBE.

Professor Erica Hinckson

Professor Erica Hinckson has been named the 28th Fellow of the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, ISBNPA.

Professor Candice Harris

Professor Candice Harris has been honoured with the 2025 Te Manahua NZ Universities Women in Leadership (NZUWiL) Excellence Award.

Dr Merja Myllylahti

Dr Merja Myllylahti from the School of Communication Studies has been appointed as a trustee to the board of the Better Public Media Trust.

Professor Ella Henry

Professor Ella Henry has been named an editor in chief of the just-launched International Journal of Indigenous Business (IJIB).

Associate Professor Matt Raskovic (AIB)

AUT Business School Associate Professor Matt Raskovic has been appointed to the executive board of the Academy of International Business (AIB).

Chief Technology Officer Liz Gosling

AUT's Chief Technology Officer and TechLeaders Co-Chair Liz Gosling contributed to and wrote the Foreword for the 2025 Digital Priorities Report.

Emeritus Professor Edwina Pio

Emeritus Professor Edwina Pio recently had an article published by the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing.

Professor Keith Tudor

Prof Keith Tudor from the Department of Psychotherapy and Counselling is the first New Zealander to be awarded the prestigious Eric Berne Memorial Award.

Brendan Wood

Brendan Wood, a senior lecturer in paramedicine, recently received a Knight of Grace in the Order of St John in New Zealand.

Associate Professor Kat Bolstad

The head of the AUT Squid Squad, Associate Professor Kat Bolstad, made headlines worldwide after verifying the first live footage of a baby colossal squid.

Dr Marta Ribó

Dr Marta Ribó, a senior lecturer in marine geosciences, has been awarded $6.9 million under MBIE’s Endeavour Programme.

Dr Adrienne Paul

AUT Law School’s Dr Adrienne Paul has joined the Aotearoa Marine Carbon Forum, which provides independent information about marine carbon dioxide removal.

Professor Allan Blackman

Professor Allan Blackman continues to be one of AUT’s top science communicators, with some of his Chemistry Matters videos getting thousands of views.

Dr Sally Britnell

Dr Sally Britnell has been appointed to the Health working group as part of a refreshed New Zealand Disability Strategy.

Associate Professor Terri-Ann Berry

Associate Professor Terri-Ann Berry has been appointed to the Waste Advisory Board, which provides independent advice to the Minister for the Environment.

Dr Anca Yallop

Dr Anca Yallop from the Business School has been appointed as an expert member of the judging panel for the Market Research Society (MRS UK) Silver Medal.

Associate Professor Jian Yu

Associate Professor Jian Yu has been appointed as associate editor of the computer science flagship journal IEEE Transactions on Services Computing.

Associate Professor Tracy Harkison

Associate Professor Tracy Harkison from the School of Hospitality and Tourism recently released her new book, Rethinking Hospitality and Tourism Education.

Jade Kake

School of Future Environments senior lecturer Jade Kake completed her architectural registration in te reo Māori; becoming the first person to do so.

Nu‘uali‘i Eteroa Lafaele

Computing alumna Nu‘uali‘i Eteroa Lafaele was named Young New Zealander of the Year for her work in bridging the digital divide for Pacific communities.