Dr. Selena Meiklejohn-Whiu

Selena Meiklejohn-Whiu is of Samoan, Māori (Ngāti Raukawa) and Pākehā heritage and works as a Lecturer in Te Kura Mātauranga School of Education at Auckland University of Technology. Prior to joining AUT she was a Research fellow on multiple research projects in both the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy and Te Puna Wānanga at the University of Auckland. Currently, Selena is Co-Principal Investigator on a TLRI funded project called Ka Tiritiria, Kia Poupoua and working with research teams on Te unaunahi i whakapiripiri ki te ika nui a Maui; and a Ted Manson Foundation research partnership project. Selena's doctoral study focused on the Vā, digital learning design and storytelling as a way of exploring Moana educational identities. She was Principal Investigator on a Matakitenga funded project called Tohunga Talks: Digital Narratives of Tohunga that Nurture Multiliteracies of Ākonga; Associate Investigator working on the T-Shaped Literacy project (TLRI) and a research fellow on Te Pae Tawhiti: Equity in STEM for Māori and Pacific students, and women. She is an experienced primary and intermediate school teacher who held middle leadership roles during her time teaching. Selena worked as a Literacy facilitator and researcher at the Waipapa Taumata Rau from 2014 to 2025. During her time at the Woolf Fisher Research Centre, Selena worked as a facilitator on PLSLP (Pacific Literacy & School Leadership Project), multiple Manaiakalani projects, including The Manaiakalani Programme (TMP, 2018-2020). She also worked with the Te Puawai Digital Immersion cluster in Te Tai Tokerau, Whangarei.