Dr Ocean Mercier (Ngāti Porou) from Victoria University of Wellington has joined NPM’s Research Leadership Team (RLT) as co-theme leader Te Tai Ao, taking up the role alongside Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes.
 
Ocean is a Senior Lecturer at Te Kawa a Māui and a national Ako Aotearoa award winning Kaupapa Māori teacher, who has a PhD in Physics and specialises in teaching Te Pūtaiao Māori/Māori Science and Cultural Mapping.
 
Her key research focus is on how mātauranga Māori and science can connect and relate, particularly in educational contexts and using novel digital technologies. Ocean co-leads a New Zealand Biological Heritage National Science Challenge project investigating the perceptions of novel biotechnological controls of pest wasps in Aotearoa and her research also involves kaupapa Māori reading of films. She won the 2017 NZ Association of Scientists' Science Medal, is the presenter of Māori Television's 'Project Mātauranga' show http://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/project-matauranga and is currently airing on TVNZ’s third season of 'Coast'  https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/coast-new-zealand
 
NPM Co-Directors Professors’ Jacinta Ruru and Linda Waimarie Nikora greatly welcome the knowledge and perspective that Ocean will add to the Research Leadership team. Jacinta commented, “Ocean brings with her considerable research knowledge and experience, but also an unique and contemporary understanding of how to engage with and involve communities in the work we are doing".
 
Dr Ocean Mercier will co-lead with Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes NPM's Te Tai Ao (Natural Environment) research as well as join the remainder of our Research Leadership Team, which includes our Co-Directors, Deputy Directors Dr James Ātaria and Dr Emma Wyeth, Associate Professor Mānuka Hēnare, Dr Shaun Awatere, Professor Papaarangi Reid, Dr Mohi Rua and Daniel Patrick.