Ako Aotearoa is proud to announce that 11 awards featuring 27 educators will be celebrated in November at the 2025 Te Whatu Kairangi, Aotearoa Tertiary Educator Awards ceremony.
Representing seven individual awardees and four groups, these prestigious awards recognise outstanding and sustained teaching excellence across the tertiary sector.
The 2025 ceremony will be held in the Great Hall of the Dominion Museum and National Art Gallery in Wellington on 5 November 2025. This year’s group of exceptional awardees, representing a diverse range of institutions, disciplines, and teaching approaches, share a driving commitment to learner success and teaching excellence.
It is particularly pleasing to have two Le Moana Mua Pacific awardees this year – Pacific Associate Professor Dr Dion Enari from Unitec and Dr Moeata Keil, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at The University of Auckland.
We also acknowledge the second educator ever to receive the Te Tohu Reo Māori award – Haani Huata-Allen, who is Head of Leadership Development and Cultural Capability, Kiriwhanake at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and welcome the success of vocational educator Richard Hope, a Senior Academic Staff member teaching automotive trades at Ara Institute of Canterbury.
“The Te Whatu Kairangi Awards recognises teaching excellence of the highest level in tertiary education, and I’m pleased to acknowledge all the 2025 awardees as outstanding exemplars of that this year. It is always inspiring to read the nominations describing innovative and impactful teaching practices that uplift the students of Aotearoa. My thanks and admiration go to all the nominees, nominators, reviewers, panel members and staff members of Ako Aotearoa for their work in making the awards a real highlight in the tertiary landscape.” Said Panel Chair, Derek McCormack.
A special congratulations to all the 2025 Te Whatu Kairangi awardees for their commitment to outstanding educational practice. Their work reflects the depth of talent and dedication within Aotearoa’s tertiary sector.
The recipient of the Prime Minister’s 2025 Educator of the Year Award, worth an additional $10,000, will be announced at the ceremony on 5 November.
2025 Te Whatu Kairangi Awardees
Te Tohu Reo Māori
Haani Huata-Allen | Head - Leadership Development and Reo and Cultural Capability, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Le Moana Mua
Dr Dion Enari | Pacific Associate Professor, Unitec
Dr Moeata Keil | Senior Lecturer, Sociology, University of Auckland
Kaupapa Māori - Individual
Dr Melissa McLeod | Associate Professor, public health physician and Kaupapa Māori epidemiologist, University of Otago
Kaupapa Māori - Group
Master of Māori and Indigenous Leadership programme, University of Canterbury
- Associate Professor Garrick Cooper
- Sacha McMeeking
- Liam Grant
- Jamie Hape
General Awardees – Individual
Dr Antonie Alm | Associate Professor, Languages and Cultures, School of Arts, University of Otago
Dr Nasser Giacaman | Senior Lecturer, Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering, University of Auckland
Richard Hope | Senior Academic Staff Member, Automotive trades, Ara Institute of Canterbury
General Awardees – Group
New Zealand Sign Language team, Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
- Dr George Major
- Susie Ovens
- Rachel Coppage
- Pascal Marceau
- Rebekah Guy
- Dr Agnes Terraschke
- Melissa Simchowitz
Distance delivery team leaders, Bachelor of Culinary Arts, Otago Polytechnic
- Chloe Humphreys, Academic Leader and Principal Lecturer
- Juliane Tautz, Senior Lecturer, Food Design Institute
Te Atakura Team, Universal College of Learning (UCOL)
- Jon Bailey
- Erin Lincoln
- Mere Robb
- Sherylee Spencer-Most
- Lynette van Hutten
- Janell Kiriona
- Tim Seaholme
