Eke Tangaroa welcomes 2026 kaihoe
AUT has welcomed three new Kaihoe into the Eke Tangaroa programme, reinforcing the University’s commitment to growing Māori and Pacific academic leadership. The new cohort was welcomed at a pōwhiri on Thursday.
Vice Chancellor Toeolesulusulu Professor Damon Salesa acknowledged the significance of the moment, noting that the achievements of each Kaihoe reflect both individual excellence and the support of generations before them.
“Your presence reminds us that achievement is rarely individual. It is collective, intergenerational and grounded in the strength of the relationships that surround each of you,” he says.
This year’s appointees bring expertise across law, Māori and Indigenous economies, engineering and environmental issues.
- Kya Raina Lal (iTaukei Fiji) joins AUT’s Law School. She brings a decade of legal practice in Fiji, specialising in criminal defence, environmental and climate change law. She is also a PhD Candidate at the University of the South Pacific and founder of the Fiji Animal Law Project.
- Dr Georgia McLellan (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāi Te Rangi) joins AUT’s Business School. She lectures in International Business and completed her PhD in 2025. Her research focuses on Māori economies, Indigenous political economy and economic geography, with an interest in people and planet centred economic futures.
- Dr Celine Turangi (Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Samoa) joins AUT’s School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences. A lecturer in mechanical engineering, she specialises in metal additive manufacturing for aerospace and motorsport. She brings nearly ten years of industry experience and a strong commitment to student centred engineering education.
Since beginning in 2015 as the vision of Emeritus Professor Pare Keiha and Professor Welby Ings, the Eke Tangaroa programme has grown steadily. Appointment numbers have ranged from four to eight each year, and 39 Kaihoe have now come through the programme.
A major milestone last year saw two members of the 2017 cohort promoted to the AUT professoriate, Associate Professor Megan Phillips (Ngāti Hape) and Associate Professor Radilaite Cammock (iTaukei Fiji), demonstrating the long-term impact of the programme.
A review in 2020 introduced the programme’s current name, Eke Tangaroa, and established the Kaiurungi role to provide dedicated leadership and support to Kaihoe and their managers. Professor Georgina Stewart served as Kaiurungi until 2025, guiding the programme through a formative period and embedding a strong foundation for future cohorts.
Professor Salesa also acknowledged the leadership of Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Professor Wendy Lawson and the significant contribution of Professor Stewart, whose stewardship of the Kaiurungi role has been central to strengthening opportunities for Māori and Pacific academic success across learning, teaching and research.
Useful links
- Eke Tangaroa
- Celine Turangi (Academic staff profile)
- Kya Raina Lal (Academic staff profile)
- Georgia McLellan (Academic staff profile)