Our people are at the heart of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Across Aotearoa and beyond, our whānau of researchers, students, partners, and professional staff are united by a shared commitment to advancing Māori knowledge, innovation, and excellence. Explore the profiles below to learn more about the diverse individuals who contribute to our research community and help shape a flourishing future for Māori.
NPM Whānau | Our People
Poari · NPM Board 7
Dr. Chelsea Grootveld
Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Apanui , Whakatōhea, Tūhourangi, Dutch
Chelsea is a respected wāhine Māori leader in education, kaupapa Māori research and governance. She holds a PhD in…
Dr. Chelsea Grootveld
Chelsea is a respected wāhine Māori leader in education, kaupapa Māori research and governance. She holds a PhD in Education from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington and is the founder of an indigenous research and evaluation company dedicated to advancing Māori aspirations.
Chelsea brings deep governance expertise, currently serving on the boards of High Performance Sport NZ, Taumata - Ihi Aotearoa Sport NZ, Tātai Aho Rau - CORE Education, International Funders For Indigenous Peoples; as Chair of the JR McKenzie Trust, Deputy Chair of Ngāitai Iwi Authority and Iti Kōpara Public Governance Aotearoa.
She is a member of the Institute of Directors and a former Chair of the Hato Pāora College Board of Trustees. In 2019, she was recognised with a Women in Governance award and served as a Future Director on the Sport NZ Board.
Proud māmā to Kahuroa and Mihi-Terina, and wife to Timoti, Chelsea has transitioned from triathlon and trail running to crossfit, yoga and netball coach of the PIC ‘aunties’. Her mahi is grounded in whakapapa, whanaungatanga and creating spaces where Māori thrive.
Associate Professor Hona Black
Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Āpanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Massey University
Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) works in te reo Māori revitalisation and has a…
Associate Professor Hona Black
Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) works in te reo Māori revitalisation and has a particular interest in language acquisition and the restoration and expansion of te reo Māori domains within everyday life.
He is presently an Associate Professor in Māori Studies at Massey University, where he also serves as Programme Co-ordinator for Te Aho Paerewa. His work spans Māori language teaching, curriculum and assessment development, translation, and research, with a strong focus on creating environments where te reo Māori can be naturally acquired and used within homes, communities, and institutions.
He is also the author of several te reo Māori publications, including He Iti Te Kupu, Ngā Hapa Reo, and Te Reo Kapekape. His work frequently bridges academic research and community practice, reflecting a commitment to strengthening Māori language futures and supporting the normalisation of te reo Māori across homes, communities, and institutions.
Dr Meika Foster
Dr Meika Foster has a background in Law, Biochemistry and Nutrition Science, with particular interests in the…
Dr Meika Foster
Dr Meika Foster has a background in Law, Biochemistry and Nutrition Science, with particular interests in the development of plant-based, functional foods and ingredients of benefit to human and animal wellbeing and the environment; indigenous organisms research and conservation; and the protection of cultural and intellectual property. She is the Founding Director of Edible Research Ltd., a values-driven organisation that provides translational research services to the science sector, government organisations, and food and beverage businesses (including multi-national and small- and medium-sized enterprises) and community groups.
In addition to her governance role with Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, Meika serves as an independent Board member on the Research Funding New Zealand Board and is one of the New Zealand representatives on the Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Trans-Tasman Board. Formerly, she served on the Pūhoro Charitable Trust Board, which oversees the Pūhoro STEMM Academy, and on the Board of the New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC).
Dr Foster has a track record and passion for supporting Māori Researcher capability building, through governance, supervision and mentorship activities. Her varied roles and contributions demonstrate a strong preference for working in transdisciplinary research environments, in recognition of the increasingly central role of science in legal, economic, social, environmental, and cultural decision-making in Aotearoa New Zealand. She lives with her extended family in Ōhoka, North Canterbury.
Professor Simon Holdaway
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
I research how to interpret the past using the material remains found by archaeologists. This has involved field work…
Professor Simon Holdaway
I research how to interpret the past using the material remains found by archaeologists. This has involved field work in a number of regions of the world including southwest France, semi-arid and tropical regions of Australia, the north of Egypt, and northern parts of Aotearoa | New Zealand. I have an interest in stone artefacts particularly their interpretation as surface deposits at a landscape scale. I continue to have active fieldwork programmes as well as laboratory-based studies of material remains.
After receiving a BA(Hons) and MA degree in Anthropology from the University of Otago I moved to the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia graduating with a PhD in 1991. I taught at The University of Auckland for a year in 1992 before taking up a post-doctoral fellowship at La Trobe University, Melbourne in 1993. I subsequently lectured at La Trobe from 1994-1998, returning to The University of Auckland in 1999, where I became Professor of Archaeology in 2009. From 2016-2021 I was Te Urumatua | Head of School, Te Pokapū Pūtaiao Pāpori | School of Social Sciences, in the Faculty of Arts. Currently I am Manupiri Ihorua Rangahau | Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, working with colleagues in Te Tari Rautaki Rangahau, Matatika | the Office of Research Strategy and Integrity (ORSI).
I was elected as a Corresponding Fellow Australian Humanities Academy in 2018 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2022.
Erina Watene
Waikato, Ngaati Maahanga
Erina Watene-Rawiri is an experienced governor and director having also served on Te Wai Maaori Trust, NZ Biological…
Erina Watene
Erina Watene-Rawiri is an experienced governor and director having also served on Te Wai Maaori Trust, NZ Biological Heritage Science Challenge, Iwi, and not-for-profit boards; as well as many advisory groups (such as the New Zealand Fish Passage Advisory Group). Professionally, Erina is a freshwater scientist with a background in river and lake restoration, tāonga species research, resource management and environmental planning. She is experienced working at the interface between policy, mātauranga Māori, and science.
Ms Watene-Rawiri grew up alongside the Waikato River and has whakapapa connections to Waikato Iwi. Her strong technical expertise in freshwater management sits alongside her community connections.
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins
Ngāpuhi
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei…
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins
Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei district. She is the former HOS of Te Puna Wānanga, the school of Māori and Indigenous Education and Te Tumu-Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Te Kawehau has pursued an academic career in Māori education. She has further developed expertise in qualitative social and educational research, politics, ethics of Indigene, settler relations, and multicultural and bicultural education. She is presently the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland.
Kerensa Johnston (Chair)
Ngāti Tama, Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Whāwhakia
Kerensa is the Chief Executive of Wakatū Incorporation, a hapū-owned organisation based in Whakatū (Nelson), which owns…
Kerensa Johnston (Chair)
Kerensa is the Chief Executive of Wakatū Incorporation, a hapū-owned organisation based in Whakatū (Nelson), which owns Kono NZ LP, an export food and beverage business; AuOra, focused on science and nutrition and Whenua, its land and property business. Committed to its 500 year intergenerational plan, Te Pae Tawhiti, Wakatū has an active social and cultural development arm which is committed to building whānau capability and innovation as well as achieving the Te Tau Ihu intergenerational strategy for the region, which includes constitutional reform.
Kerensa has a legal background and has worked as a solicitor in the private sector, as a Barrister, and as a legal academic at the Faculty of Law, University of Auckland, where she specialised in Māori legal development, public law, land law and international law. Kerensa joined Wakatū as General Counsel in December 2012, and was appointed Chief Executive in 2016.
Kerensa is also the Chair of Ngāti Tama ki te Tau Ihu Charitable Trust. She is a member of the International Association of Corporate Counsel, Corporate Lawyers’ New Zealand and Te Hunga Roia.