At the half way point of our current Centre of Research Excellence contract, we farewelled from the Research Leadership Team Drs' James Ataria (Lincoln University) and Emma Wyeth (University of Otago) who have completed their roles of Co-Deputy Director for NPM, since 2016 for a term of two and half years.

James and Emma were both central to the success of NPM's rebid process and then each took up the demanding roles of Co-Deputy Director, balancing their work guiding NPM's direction and contributing to its leadership and focus, together with their own considerable research commitments.

Now at the halfway point of NPM's contract, the mantle is passed to an updated leadership team, NPM Co Directors Professors' Jacinta Ruru and Linda Waimarie Nikora would like to acknowledge the outstanding work of both James and Emma and the substantial contribution they have made to the future of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga.

James has had a long association with NPM firstly as a researcher in the early 2000s and later as a member of research, conference and grant review panels. He recently commented that "the role of Deputy Director has afforded me a wonderful opportunity to gain a much deeper insight into the organisation and enabled him to contribute to the goals and aspirations of the ‘new’ NPM research strategy and structure."

“If the organisational structure forms the body of NPM then its researcher network and staff surely must constitute its beating heart.”

Emma added "There have been so many highlights during my time as Co-Deputy Director of Ngā Pae so it has been difficult to choose just one! On reflection though, the best part of this role has been the many amazing and inspiring Māori researchers that I have worked alongside during this time. Many new connections throughout the country have been made, and long-standing ones have been strengthened further."

Together they are adamant that the success of NPM is, and will always be, built around its people and how NPM further increases Māori capacity to engage in innovative, activist-driven, and transformative research. 

NPM has a proud tradition of seeking new horizons and although James and Emma will both still stay close to NPM as researchers in the years ahead, Jacinta and Waimarie wish them well in their future journeys and thank them for their involvement and support.