Our people are at the heart of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Across Aotearoa and beyond, our whānau of researchers, students, partners, and professional staff are united by a shared commitment to advancing Māori knowledge, innovation, and excellence. Explore the profiles below to learn more about the diverse individuals who contribute to our research community and help shape a flourishing future for Māori.
Ko Wai Mātou · About Us
Rapua te whānau o NPM · Search Our People
Poari · NPM Board 7
Dr. Chelsea Grootveld
Ngāi Tai, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau a Apanui , Whakatōhea, Tūhourangi, Dutch
Aiko Consultants
Director, Aiko Consultants
Chelsea is a respected wāhine Māori leader in education, kaupapa Māori research and governance. She holds a PhD in…
Dr. Chelsea Grootveld
Chelsea is a respected wāhine Māori leader in education, kaupapa Māori research and governance. She holds a PhD in Education from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington and is the founder of an indigenous research and evaluation company dedicated to advancing Māori aspirations.Chelsea brings deep governance expertise, currently serving on the boards of High Performance Sport NZ, Taumata - Ihi Aotearoa Sport NZ, Tātai Aho Rau - CORE Education, International Funders For Indigenous Peoples; as Chair of the JR McKenzie Trust, Deputy Chair of Ngāitai Iwi Authority and Iti Kōpara…
Professor Hona Black
Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Āpanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Professor
Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) works in te reo Māori revitalisation and has a…
Professor Hona Black
Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) works in te reo Māori revitalisation and has a particular interest in language acquisition and the restoration and expansion of te reo Māori domains within everyday life. Hona is the author of several te reo Māori publications, including He Iti Te Kupu, Ngā Hapa Reo, and Te Reo Kapekape. His work frequently bridges academic research and community practice, reflecting a commitment to strengthening Māori language futures and supporting the normalisation of te reo Māori across homes, communities, and institutions.
Honorary Associate Professor Meika Foster
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Honorary Associate Professor
Dr Meika Foster has a background in Law and Nutrition Science. Her research interests include the development of food…
Honorary Associate Professor Meika Foster
Dr Meika Foster has a background in Law and Nutrition Science. Her research interests include the development of food and ingredient solutions that are beneficial for health and the environment, regulatory science, consumer science, Indigenous organisms research, the roles of micronutrients and phytochemicals in health and disease, and the protection of Indigenous cultural and intellectual property. Meika is the Founding Director of Edible Research Ltd., which provides translational research services to the science sector, government organisations, and food and beverage businesses (including…
Professor Simon Holdaway
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Pro Vice-Chancellor Research Reputation and Performance
I research how to interpret the past using the material remains found by archaeologists. This has involved field work…
Professor Simon Holdaway
I research how to interpret the past using the material remains found by archaeologists. This has involved field work in a number of regions of the world including southwest France, semi-arid and tropical regions of Australia, the north of Egypt, and northern parts of Aotearoa | New Zealand. I have an interest in stone artefacts particularly their interpretation as surface deposits at a landscape scale. I continue to have active fieldwork programmes as well as laboratory-based studies of material remains.After receiving a BA(Hons) and MA degree in Anthropology from the University of Otago I…
Erina Watene
Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāi te Rangi
Te Wai Māori
Director & Freshwater Scientist
Erina is a freshwater scientist with a background in tāonga species research, lake and river restoration, resource…
Erina Watene
Erina is a freshwater scientist with a background in tāonga species research, lake and river restoration, resource management and environmental planning. She is experienced in working at the interface between iwi, science and policy. Erina has a strong governance background from Science Challenge, several iwi and not-for-profit trust boards. She is also a member of numerous fisheries and freshwater societies in New Zealand and Australia, and holds a Master of Science (Hons) majoring in Chemistry from the University of Waikato.
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins
Ngāti Hau, Ngāpuhi
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the…
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins
Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins affiliates to the people of Ngāti Hau in Whakapara, a community located north of the Whangārei district. She is the former HOS of Te Puna Wānanga, the school of Māori and Indigenous Education and Te Tumu-Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work. Te Kawehau has pursued an academic career in Māori education. She has further developed expertise in qualitative social and educational research, politics, ethics of Indigene, settler relations, and multicultural and bicultural education. She is presently the Pro-Vice Chancellor Māori at Waipapa Taumata Rau…
Kerensa Johnston
Ngāti Tama, Ngāruahine, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Whāwhakia
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Chair
Kerensa is the Chief Executive of Wakatū Incorporation, a hapū-owned organisation based in Whakatū (Nelson), which owns…
Kerensa Johnston
Kerensa is the Chief Executive of Wakatū Incorporation, a hapū-owned organisation based in Whakatū (Nelson), which owns Kono NZ LP, an export food and beverage business; AuOra, focused on science and nutrition and Whenua, its land and property business. Committed to its 500 year intergenerational plan, Te Pae Tawhiti, Wakatū has an active social and cultural development arm which is committed to building whānau capability and innovation as well as achieving the Te Tau Ihu intergenerational strategy for the region, which includes constitutional reform. Kerensa has a legal background and has…