Our People
Dr. Kēpa Morgan
BE, MBA, PhD, DistFEngNZ
Kēpa and his whanau are flourishing on traditional lands, Haumingi 10a2b Papakāinga, on the southern shores of Te Roto I kite ai e Ihenga I ariki ai a Kahumatamomoe. He belongs to Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Tarawhai, Te Arawa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kai Tahu, Kāti Mamoe and Waitaha iwi.
Kēpa created the Mauri Model Decision Making Framework and mauri-0-meter in 2004 while researching Rotorua Lakes water quality for his Doctoral Studies at the University of Auckland.
His current research focuses on ecosystem impact assessment and empowering Iwi in relationships with regional and local government. This includes culturally sustainable roading, water supply, wastewater/stormwater infrastructure, Te Mauri o te Wai, development of frameworks to communicate land use change including geothermal development, rail corridor impacts, mauri monitoring, climate change impacts, assessments for sustainable dairy and forestry, marine spatial planning, and creating new maramataka-based understandings of mauri.
Dr. Oliver McMillan
BE (Hons, 1st), PhD, CEnvP
Olly (Ngāti Porou) is an Environmental Engineer with expertise in contaminated land investigation and remediation, and the development and use of Indigenous decision-making tools. He completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge, which focused on developing biochar as a tool for remediating contaminated soil in a sustainable way. Olly then worked with First Nations communities across Canada in developing cultural-based environmental monitoring programs. Since returning home to Aotearoa, Olly's key projects have included developing cultural and environmental monitoring programs across Te Arawa rohe, determining environmental and cultural impacts of a major landfill, and monitoring changes to the mauri of the Waiāri River near Te Puke.
Research interests: Indigenous-based decision making tools | Cultural impacts of land & water contamination | Cultural-based environmental monitoring
Dr. Robyn Manuel
BSc, MSc (Hons, 1st), PhD
PGDipPH, DipTe Reo Māori, GradDipTeaching
Robyn (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kurī) is a Chemist, Environmental Scientist and Public Health Professional by training. She spent much of her early career using her science training to support Māori and Pacific students to succeed in STEM university degree programmes. This began in 1991 when she established Tuakana - Teina Tutorials in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Auckland.
These days her passion is improving the health and wellbeing of all, especially vulnerable communities facing all manner of inequities. Those communities are predominantly Māori and Pacific whose health and wellbeing is directly impacted by inequitable access to health services and over-exposure to toxic environments.
Robyn is the Chair of Pharmac's Consumer Advisory Committee where she draws on her whānau lived experience of illness and subsequent challenges in accessing equitable health services, and her growing knowledge of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to advocate for greater Patient and Indigenous peoples participation in HTA. She was the inaugural Patients and Consumer representative on Pharmac's Pharmacology and Therapeutic Advisory Committee from July 2022 to May 2026.
Dr. Te-Rina King-Hudson
BSc (Hons, 1st), PhD
Te-Rina (Ngāti Pikiao, Te Whakatōhea, they/them/ia) is a trained Biochemist (BSc(Hons), PhD) with diverse experience and interests around hauora o te taiao me ngā tangata. Their main role in the Mahi Maioro team is leading technical aspects of data collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication using the Mauri Model framework. They are passionate about developing more accessible, sustainable, and sovereign methods to support and empower hapū, iwi, and communities to monitor and understand the mauri of their local wai and whenua. More broadly, they are interested in relationships between the environment and human health, and how we can promote more holistic understandings of and uplift te mauri o te taiao me ngā tangata i ngā wā katoa.
Te Ara Pounamu Pukeroa
BMus, BMus (Hons. 1st), MA enrolled
2021 - 2023 Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar
2026 University of Auckland Masters Scholar
Te Ara Pounamu (Ngāti Pikiao, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Tarawhai, Ngāti Kahu, Kai Tahu and Ngāti Kurī) is the programme co-ordinator of our Health Technology Assessment study. He brings strong leadership skills including student mentoring, Te Reo Māori teaching, music composition and videography expertise to our organisation.
Te Ara Pounamu was the Sir Edmund Hillary Arts Medalist (2023) awarded to the top Sir Edmund Hillary scholar in the Arts at the University of Waikato. Te Ara Pounamu has completed his study at the University of Waikato in the Bachelor of Music Honours programme. His majors are Music composition and Te Reo Māori. Recently, Te Ara Pounamu has entered the Masters programme as a University of Auckland scholar.
Maumahara a Kētia Pukeroa
BA/LLB enrolled
2024 University of Auckland Top Scholar
2026 Mahi Maioro Professionals' Scholar
Maumahara a Kētia (Ngāti Pikiao, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Tarawhai, Ngāti Kahu, Kai Tahu, Ngāti Kurī and Ngāti Porou) is contracted to work across our projects mainly during University breaks. Her expertise includes te reo me ōna tikanga Māori, photography, videography, waiata and artistic expertise. She brings a rangatahi lens to all that we do. Maumahara a Kētia can also be heard and seen, narrating our educational videos.
Matire Ward
Matire (Ngāpuhi) is a Public Health Researcher and Developmental Biologist dedicated to advancing health equity and reproductive agency. Matire recently submitted her PhD at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. Her research investigated the composition of fluid nurturing the egg during its development in the ovary, and how this fluid influences the egg’s ability to generate a healthy embryo. This research offers insights into avenues for the improvement of assisted reproductive therapies in the future. Professionally, she brings expertise from the clinical advice space of Health Technology Assessment, where she conducted evidence-based appraisals for pharmaceutical funding for Aotearoa. Matire is a committed advocate for dismantling systemic barriers to care and achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori and underserved communities.
| Top |