Catherine Abou-Nemeh is a historian of science, with a focus on Europe, 1500-1750. Her work explores the histories of science, knowledge, and ignorance, particularly the relationship between empirical and natural philosophical traditions in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe. She has published research articles in leading academic journals, such as History of Science and Isis, and in edited volumes, including Science and the Shaping of Modernity (Springer, 2024), Reading Newton in Early Modern Europe (Brill, 2017) and The Life Sciences in Early Modern Philosophy (Oxford UP, 2014). She is currently completing an intellectual biography of the Dutch lens-maker and natural philosopher Nicolas Hartsoeker (1656–1725).

Prior to joining Victoria University of Wellington in 2013, Catherine taught in the Department of History at Princeton University. She has also held visiting research fellowships at the École Normale Supérieure, Paris (2008–2009); the Scaliger Institute, Leiden University (2009); and the Edward Worth Library in Dublin (2011). In 2012, She was Dibner Research Fellow in the History of Science and Technology at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. In 2016 she was a Visiting Scholar in the History Department at Harvard University. She has presented her research at universities around the world, including Princeton, Harvard, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, Cambridge, Oxford, Sydney, Queensland, Auckland and Otago. 

My research explores the behavioural dimensions of climate change and sustainability, grounded in environmental psychology. This field focuses on the relationships between people and the natural and urban environment. I apply psychological theories to better understand the drivers of pro-environmental behaviour, such as attitudes, social norms, and connectedness to nature.

My primary focus is on the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions (such as the provision of information, commitment making, feedback provision) to encourage the adoption of pro-environmental behaviours. My first book, entitled “Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: What works, what doesn’t, and why?” (Elsevier Academic Press) delves into this topic. I am currently working on my second book, a textbook in environmental psychology. 

Current Research Projects

Social Influence and Behaviour Change
Our behaviour is often guided by what other people think and do; this is referred to as social influence. Insights from theories of social influence are increasingly being used to help inform interventions to encourage behaviour change, such as social norms and social comparison. My research explores questions such as: How effective is social influence? Under which conditions is it (most) effective? Does it ever backfire?

Climate change misinformation 

This cross-disciplinary research brings together academics from climate science, political science, education, and environmental psychology. As a team, we focus on debunking climate misinformation. 

How will people adapt to climate change? 
This research is part of the Endeavour-funded project Te Ao Hurihuri: Te Ao Hou – Our Changing Coast. I am part of the social science team and I work on topics like public perception of sea level rise, how people can adapt to climate change, and how people cope with climate anxiety. 

Anna Adcock (Ngāti Mutunga) is a social researcher with a Master’s degree in sociology from Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. With this background in sociology, she brings experience in qualitative methods and social theory to the team.

Anna does Kaupapa Māori (by Māori, for Māori) sexual/reproductive and family health research that centres the lived experiences and perspectives of whānau Māori (Māori family collectives). She is passionate about health equity, data sovereignty, research ethics, and whānau.

Anna’s doctoral thesis was a qualitative longitudinal research study exploring whānau Māori experiences of preterm birth. Other maternal/infant health research Anna is involved in is looking at post-natal support for whānau and infant neurodevelopmental support for whānau impacted by methamphetamine. She is also currently working on a body of research, He Tapu Te Whare Tangata (the sacred house of humanity), to inform the National Cervical Screening Programme.

I am an Anthropologist and Science and Technology Studies (STS) scholar. I am an editor of Science, Technology, & Human Values. 

My work sits between Anthropology and Science and Technology Studies (STS) and uses ethnographic and other qualitative methods. I am interested broadly in the social fabric of science and medicine: how people realise their social commitments, become imbricated in power relations, and create meaning through scientific practice.

Topically, my research has examined the place of genetics and genomics in society, how people convey and interpret health information, and more recently, the use of toxins in conservation. My current Marsden Fast Start focuses on the multispecies politics of 1080 toxin use in Aotearoa, investigating how scientific research shapes toxins use, how different people arrive at different perspectives on 1080, and the wider multispecies relations at stake in conservation.

I completed my PhD at the University of Copenhagen, where, as part of the interdisciplinary Consortium for Designer Organisms, I carried out ethnographic research on the social and ethical dimensions of gene therapy. Prior to this I received degrees in Anthropology (Masters, BA (Hons), BA) and Writing Studies (BA) from the University of Auckland.

Supervision
I welcome enquiries from prospective Masters and PhD students with interests in Science and Technology Studies (STS) and medical and environmental anthropology. While I am open to all enquiries aligned with my interests, I am currently particularly keen to support student research on:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalopathy: Patients' experiences and/or knowledge production around CFS/ME
- Human/Dog/Kiwi relations
- Local hunting cultures
Students who are interested in working on one of these topics should get in touch to discuss what these projects might look like. Students who already have a topic in mind should send through a research proposal so that I can gauge whether that is something I can supervise.

I am a senior lecturer in statistics and data science in the School of Mathematic and Statistics at Victoria University of Wellington.  I received my Ph.D. in 2009 from the University of Washington (Seattle, USA) and lectured at Murdoch University before joining Victoria University of Wellington in 2019.  

I am an urban planner with research interests in regulatory planning, community development planning, place and placemaking, and cultural and creative cities. I primarily use mix methods to explore complex interrelations between between people and place, built environment and regulatory systems. My current projects focus on land use planning and flood risk management research.

Barbara is Head of School & Associate Professor in Public Management and Policy at the School of Government. She is an international expert in public procurement and public contracting, with sub-specialties in performance and digital government. She was a Canadian Air Force Officer in Logistics, and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada.

Barbara researches vexing questions around public spending, public procurement, performance improvement and digital transformation. Previous to her role at the Victoria University of Wellington - Te Herenga Waka School of Government, Barbara held academic roles at the University of Nottingham, School of Sociology and Social Policy, the Institute of Public Management and Governance, Warwick Business School, and the Institute of Local Government Studies at the University of Birmingham. 

Barbara has been involved in a wide array of research programmes spanning current public policy and management problems with recent publications in the Journal of Public Procurement on New Zealand public procurement, the Australian Journal of Public Administration on performance improvement, Government Information Quarterly on smart cities and in the European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review on SMEs and procurement.

Throughout her time in the UK (2005-2015) Barbara developed considerable expertise in public services commissioning, providing policy and implementation projects to a wide range of organisations. At Birmingham, Barbara was lead researcher and subsequently co-director of a large centrally funded programme, the Evaluation of the Local Government Procurement Agenda 2005 -2009.

Barbara is often asked to speak as an invited expert - for example the Auditor’s General launch of their review of public procurement, at the Trans-Tasman Business Circle, the GovProcure conference and was a member of the reference panel on Commissioning and Contracting for the Australian Public Services Review. Previously Barbara has spoken to the OECD on electronic procurement, advised Sanofi Pasteur on strategic vaccine procurement, and presented research on African SME supplier relationships with government in Uganda.

Barbara  is interested in potential PhD students who want to pursue topics related to procurement and supply, performance and digital procurement including AI.

Other service roles:

• Wellington School of Business and Government representative to the Victoria University Academic Board
• Member of the Australia New Zealand School of Government (ANZOG) Research Committee
• Wellington School of Business and Government (WSBG) Bachelor of Commerce Refresh Committee
• WSBG Bachelor of Commerce Curriculum Advisory Committee
• WSBG (School of Government) School Research Committee
• Professional Programmes Board of Studies
• Institute of Public Administration of New Zealand 'Public Sector' journal advisory committee
• Associate Editor the Journal of Public Procurement
• Active peer reviewer for numerous journals including Editorial Board for Australian Journal of Public Administration
• recent Chair of the executive committee, Wellington chapter of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply 
• Australian Procurement and Construction Council - Procurement and Contracting Network
  
  Barbara was a Captain in Air Logistics in the Canadian Armed Forces for 10 years. She attended the prestigious Royal Military College of Canada where she completed her undergraduate degree in Politics and History.

Originally trained in Environmental Sciences I have a PhD in Urban Planning and Policy Sciences from the University of Tsukuba, Japan (2005). I am passionate about greening, urban forests, the use of public spaces and urban and planning history. Increasingly my interests have aligned with those ecosystemic urbanism and its call to see the city as analogous to an ecosystem.  

My research explores the relationship between ice and climate over a range of timescales. Measuring and understanding present-day processes allows us to build mathematical models of glacier systems. Using these models, we can explore the climate that resulted in geological records of past glacier extents in the landscape, which helps to understand the mechanics of the global climate system, and also puts present-day climatic changes into context. These glacier models are also used to make projections of what may happen to glaciers in the future, depending on the trajectory of greehouse-gas emissions.

Part of this work involves the long-term monitoring of glaciers, and I am involved with field projects at several glaciers in the Southern Alps - Haupapa/Tasman Glacier, Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere/Franz Josef Glacier, Te Moeka o Tuawe/Fox Glacier, Brewster Glacier, and Rolleston Glacier.

Gordon is an Emeritus Professor. His primary research focus is labour law on which he has written extensively. His publications have focussed on the extensive reforms to New Zealand employment law that began in the 1970s and particularly the reforms of 1991 and 2000 and the continuing evolution of the law. Other principal areas of his research have been the law of personal grievances and the development of good faith in employment law.

Gordon has served as the Asian Vice-President of the International Society for Labour and Social Security Law and is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Labour Law Research network and was President of the New Zealand Labour Law Society for several years. Gordon has practiced as a barrister and has represented clients in the various employment institutions and the courts and has provided advice to various union and the CTU on various aspects of labour law reform. He was Chair of the Ministerial Taskforce to review the Holidays Act.

Gordon has also taught and written on international trade law and in particular New Zealand’s trade agreements at both a multilateral and bilateral level.

Current Research:
Gordon's current research interests include: a comparative study of the contract of employment; personal grievance law; the worker protection index, a multinational project that looks at the regulation of employment across a variety of countries; the interface between employment law and human resource management; and reforms to health and safety law.

Physical activity and sport are an essential part of our wellbeing and development across all stages of the lifespan.

Māori (Ngati Ruanui) from Petone ventured across the world to pursue her dreams. Graduating with her PhD from the University of Delaware (USA), Lara has returned home and is now the Co-Director of Te Hau Kori – Centre for Physical Activity and Wellbeing. Lara provides strategic leadership Māori for the design and development of the Centre's new teaching and learning programmes. Lara works closely with Sport New Zealand to support future-focused workforce development opportunities in Physical Activity, Sport, Play, Hauora and Wellbeing.

On the diamond, Lara (Captain) has earned 107 international caps for the NZ White Sox with 186 total games. She also captained the University of Delaware (USA) Division 1 Softball team and became the 1st NZ female to play Professional in the United States (Pittsburgh). Lara is passionate about designing and developing youth programmes to help mentor and inspire youth to build confidence, self esteem and skill development while creating a pathway to higher education through sport.

Siah Hwee Ang is Professor in Strategy and International Business and Professorial Chair in Business in Asia at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), roles he has held for the past 11 years. He has also been the Director of New Zealand’s Southeast Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (SEA CAPE) since 2018. Before VUW, Siah Hwee was the Associate Dean Postgraduate and Professor in Strategy at the University of Auckland Business School, where he spent 10 years.

Siah Hwee’s career, to which the bulk are based in New Zealand, has evolved from initially designing and leading business programmes for university students and executive programmes to training businesses on international markets, in particular around Asia. His expertise centres around the connection between strategy, international business and international trade. In more recent years, he has also become a conduit for linking academia to both government and businesses, heavily involved in thought leadership and engagement both domestically and internationally to link New Zealand to Asia. Initiatives he has designed and executed also provide New Zealand’s younger generation and academics across various institutions a platform to connect with businesses, building capabilities and capacity to engage with the Asia region.

During his time in Wellington as Chair in Business in Asia, Siah Hwee works closely with public and private funders MFAT, NZTE, MBIE and BNZ to provide knowledge and advice to businesses and policy makers on engaging with Asia. Through SEA CAPE, the VUW-based national centre (sits under a consortium of four universities – VUW, University of Auckland, Waikato and Otago) for enhancing New Zealand’s engagement with the Southeast Asia region, the programmes he orchestrated across 13 regions within New Zealand allow interweaving connections to be made across New Zealand and extend to the Southeast Asia markets (both government and business sectors). For example, initiatives such as ‘Bringing ASEAN to New Zealand’ that bring in key business people from Southeast Asia to engage across New Zealand regions allow New Zealanders to learn and connect to Asia despite the resource constraints to travel. In the period 2017–2019, Siah Hwee was also the Chair of VUW’s ‘Enabling Our Asia Pacific Trading Nation Academic Distinctiveness Theme’. This role sees him leading a pan-university committee consists of key stakeholders and academics across faculties on how the university can engage with the Asia-Pacific region.

Siah Hwee is highly recognised for his scholarship. He has published multiple times in the top journal in both the fields of strategy and international business. The international publisher Elsevier has appointed him to be Reviewing Editor (gatekeeping role) for the Journal of World Business (the top journal in international business) for two periods 2021–2023 and 2024–2026. He will also be the Deputy Editor-in-Chief for the Asia Pacific Journal of Management, the top management journal around Asia in 2025–2027 (he is currently the Senior Editor for the journal). Until the New Zealand national research exercise Performance-Based Research Fund was put under review in 2024, Siah Hwee had been appointed by Tertiary Education Commission as one of the 7 initial members of the Business and Economics Panel to help set up the national research exercise criteria for the 2026 quality evaluation round. He has previously sat on the national assessment panels for New Zealand Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia (2016–2019, 2022), Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships (2018), and Marsden Fund (2015–2018), a prestigious fund supporting excellence in science, engineering, maths, social sciences and the humanities in New Zealand. Since 2022, Siah Hwee has also been an assessor for the MBIE’s Endeavour Fund (the largest contestable fund in New Zealand) that supports excellent research that will positively transform New Zealand’s economy, environment and society.

In 2021, as recognising his engagement with businesses, Siah Hwee was nominated and elected to the boards of both Business Central NZ (HQ in Wellington) and Wellington Chamber of Commerce. He was re-elected at the end of 2023, and has been elected by business peers to become the President of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in late 2024. Siah Hwee was also sitting on the board of the ASEAN NZ Business Council in the period 2020–2023. He was also on the ASEAN Business Alliance Working Group for a few years. This working group involves all the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce in the Southeast Asia region, with all parties seeking ways to collaborate to enhance New Zealand’s engagement in the region.

Due to his various roles, Siah Hwee has been frequently invited to provide keynote address, speeches and as panellists at events hosted by, for example, NZ International Business Forum Board, APEC Business Advisory Council, Chartered Accountants ANZ, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, MFAT ASEAN Public Leadership Programme, Asia Forum, Latin America NZ Business Council, Productivity Commission, Trans-Tasman Business Circle, Hong Kong NZ Business Association, NZ China Trade Association, NZ China Council, NZ Institute of International Affairs, China and NZ Business Council, MFAT China Capability Programme, Education NZ, NZ Security Intelligence Services, Grow Wellington, The Wellington Club, University Third Age and Rotary Clubs. He has also done similar work for the governments of Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia, and international organisations such as the Association of Executive Search Consultants (based in Hong Kong) and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (based in Indonesia). With extensive engagement in business and government coming from an academic background, Siah Hwee was invited by the Paris-based OECD to become the only Oceania member of its Entrepreneurship Education Collaboration and Engagement Steering Committee, a 12-member group on how universities can promote entrepreneurial education and learning.

Siah Hwee is also actively engaged in public education. He has published more than 250 media pieces in various outlets, such as NZ Herald, The Post, stuff.co.nz, interest,co.nz and China Daily. In fact, he founded the ‘Understanding China’ column at interest.co.nz in 2014 in a collaborative effort with the media outlet to push for more understanding of China in New Zealand. Further, Siah Hwee has collaborated on various projects and engaged in discussions with various New Zealand agencies as well as foreign government and research institutions on global, Asia and New Zealand matters. Most recently, he was involved in a project to which MFAT used to front public officials from Australia and ASEAN around how public policies can be used to help SMEs in the context of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA).

Before arriving in New Zealand, Siah Hwee has had work experience in City University in London and National University of Singapore, where he completed his PhD in Management. Siah Hwee is Visiting Professor to a few universities, and is on the assessor panels of various Australian and Asian universities for promotions to Professor and Associate Professor.