Karyn's research interests are in a number of areas that intersect at various points. These are: sociological issues surrounding Māori urbanisation and Māori identity development and maintenance; Māori performing arts, particularly poi, the analysis of haka and waiata compositions and the role kapa haka plays in identity; grammatical aspects of the Māori language and second language acquisition; Māori language and Māori performing arts teaching methodologies.

Kahu is the Manager Research at Te Rau Matatini. Kahu has worked in the health and disability sector for over 20 years, with a special focus on Māori health research and child and adolescent mental health.

Kahu holds a Dip Nursing (Psychiatric), Higher Dip Teaching, B Ed, M Phil (Māori), D Phil (Psychiatry). She was a Member of the Māori Health Committee, New Zealand Health Research Council from 2008 to 2014, and Chair of Ngā Kanohi Kitea Community Research Committee, New Zealand Health Research Council during that term, She is the lead for Te Rā o Te Waka Hourua

Ms Tawhai lectures in policy and politics at Te Pūtahi a Toi. A recent recipient of the Fulbright-Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga scholar award, Ms Tawhai's fields of research and community work include the Treaty of Waitangi, Māori and youth political engagement, constitutional change, and electoral, civics and citizenship education. 

Dr Lawton (Ngāti Porou) trained at Otago medical school. She worked as a general practitioner in Newtown, Wellington for and co-founded the Wellington menopause clinic. These experiences lead to an interest in research to answer the many questions relevant to women’s health.

She joined the Department of General Practice and Primary Healthcare in 1998 which was followed by the establishment of the Women’s Health Research Centre. Bev was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004, for services to women’s health.

Professor Tania Ka‘ai has worked in tertiary education for over 20 years. As an Indigenous scholar Professor Ka‘ai uses the cultural values transmitted to her by her elders and mentors as an epistemological framework which informs her own academic writing and teaching (including supervision) within the university academy.

Her work as Director of Te Ipukarea and Te Whare o Rongomaurikura, provides an opportunity to share her knowledge not only with students and staff at AUT and others nationally, but internationally too.

Paora is Kaihautu Tikanga (Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori leader) at NPM and also a Professional Teaching Fellow at the Department of Māori Studies, University of Auckland where he lectures in Kapahaka, Traditional & Contemporary Māori Performing Arts and Te Reo Māori. 

He has had a significant career in kapahaka as well as traditional and contemporary Māori performing arts, including areas of performing, teaching/training, directing, judging as well as choreography and composition within this indigenous genre of dance.

Khylee is from the iwi of Te Roroa/Ngapuhi and Ngati Porou. She teaches Criminal Law, Advanced Criminal Law and Youth Justice. Her research interests lie within those fields; in particular Māori and the criminal justice system, tikanga Māori and the law, restorative justice and alternative dispute resolution, Māori women and the law, indigenous peoples and the law.

Shaun Awatere (Ngāti Porou) is a resource economist for Landcare Research in Hamilton. He has been working to improve the incorporation of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge and values) into local government planning by developing the systems and processes that will enable Māori values to be integrated into urban design and development.