Every year, Te Whatu Kairangi celebrates outstanding tertiary educators in Aotearoa. Read about Pacific awardees who have excelled at supporting their learners, colleagues, institutions and communities.

2024

• Jone Tawaketini, Senior Lecturer, Electrical and Applied Technology, Unitec
  Te Whatu Kairangi Award | Le Moana Mua

2023

A new Pacific Award was introduced in 2023, Le Moana Mua. This award recognises the outstanding practice of Pacific Educators, that is, those who are educators of Pacific ethnicity and who educate Pacific peoples. It replaces the Pacific Endorsement that was available in previous years

• Filoi Genevieve Togiaso, Head of Department for Health Practice – Ara Institute of Canterbury | Te Pūkenga
  Te Whatu Kairangi Award | Le Moana Mua

• Vijay Pillay, Pacific Healthcare Tutor in the Healthcare Programme – New Zealand Skills and Education College
  Te Whatu Kairangi Award | Le Moana Mua

2022

• Dr Marcia Leenen-Young, Senior Lecturer in Pacific Studies – Waipapa Taumata Rau
  Te Whatu Kairangi Award and Pacific Endorsement
• Patrick Vakaoti, Associate Professor in Sociology Te Whare Wānanga o Otago | University of Otago
  Te Whatu Kairangi Award and Pacific Endorsement

2021

• Dr Latika Samalia, Professional Practice Fellow – Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago
  Sustained excellence in tertiary teaching – General Category; ‘Excellence in supporting Pacific learners’ endorsement; also Prime Minister's Supreme Award winner
• Dr Te Oti Rakena, Pūkenga Matua – School of Music, Waipapa Taumata Rau
  Sustained excellence in tertiary teaching – Kaupapa Māori Category; also awarded ‘Excellence in supporting Pacific learners’ endorsement

2018

• Faumuina Associate Professor Fa’afetai Sopoaga – Division of Health Sciences, the University of Otago
  Sustained excellence in tertiary teaching – General Category; ‘Excellence in supporting Pacific learners’ endorsement; Also Prime Minister's Supreme Award winner

2014

• Dr Teresia Teaiwa, Senior lecturer, Pacific Studies, Victoria University of Wellington
  Sustained excellence in tertiary teaching

2013

• Kamuka Pati, Lecturer, Department of building technology, Unitec Institute of Technology
  Sustained excellence in tertiary teaching

Pictured above left: Jone Tawaketini, The 2024 Le Moana Mua Award winner with Hon Penny Simmonds, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills