Stacey Ruru

Ko Tainui te Waka

Ko Waikato te Awa

Ko Maungatautari te Maunga

Ko Tauwhare Pā rāua ko Paparamu ?ku Marae

Ko Waikato rāua ko Raukawa ōku iwi

Ko Ngāti Hauā rāua ko Ngāti Raukawa ōku Hapū

I joined Whakauae Research Centre in early 2022 as an Emerging Researcher and am working on the Rapua Te Ara Rangatira project – Leadership, governance and decision-making models to achieve health equity.

I developed a passion for research when undertaking my master’s degree in Organisational Psychology in 2014 at Waikato University. My research project focused on Māori women’s perspectives on leadership and wellbeing because I wanted to understand how these women find strength and keep themselves well in leadership.

This led me to undertake several research-related and project management roles for the University of Waikato and Auckland during 2017-2021. I was very fortunate to work in areas that were outside the scope of my degree, and I have enjoyed the experience so far and look forward to developing further.

My research interest includes Māori leadership, kaupapa Māori and organisational/indigenous psychology. The Rapua te ara Rangatira project appealed to me because I am passionate about Māori leadership, and it provided an opportunity to collaborate with Kaupapa Māori researchers. My own research kaupapa is linked to the Rapua te ara Rangatira project and will focus on wāhine rangatira and their experiences in Aotearoa governance. I chose to do my mahi rangahau with Whakauae Research because it is a kaupapa Māori based organisation that encourages and supports Māori to aspire in the mahi that they do and contributes back to the wider community.

Hapaitia te ara tika pūmau ai te rangatiratanga mō ngā uri whakatipu – Foster the pathway of knowledge, strength, independence, and growth for future generations.