Current Award Recipients
The 2024 Award Recipients
Te Tihi o Manono - Professor Angus Hikairo Macfarlane
The Te Tihi o Manono award was established in 2023 by the National Standing Committee of Bicultural Issues to honour the journey of those who have, through their significant and sustained achievements, advanced mātauranga Māori and Indigenous knowledge in psychology. The Award will be hosted by the New Zealand Psychological Society, the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists, and supported by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Centre of Māori Research Excellence. The joint hosting of the award recognises the collective aspirations of Māori in psychology and the need to support exceptional achievement by members of both organisations.
This award recognises the achievement of research and practice excellence in the pursuit of mātauranga Māori in psychology. This award reflects the journey taken to produce scholarship, research, and professional practice relevant to Māori communities
Korihi te manu
Takiri mai i te ata
Ka ao ka ao ka awatea
Tihei mauri ora
He mihi kau ana ki a koutou te roopu Matai Hinengaro o Aotearoa. He honore nui tēnei ki te whakamana tēnei tono mō Te Tihi o Manono tohu.
Angus became the Kaihautu for the NZ Psychological Society, serving across nine presidents. It is rare to have a person within a predominantly Pākehā organisation who provides the feeling of “home” for Māori members. Angus epitomizes mana in its purest form. His humble, calm, safe, and steadfast manner draws people to him. In addition to these endearing qualities, his expertise in Māori education is unquestionable. He has played a pivotal role in advancing Māori education and Māori psychology, thus directly impacting Māori health and well-being.
He has been involved in education for almost 50 years in roles ranging from teacher and Māori advisor to researcher and publisher. He has held roles in the Ministry of Education, University of Waikato, and the University of Canterbury, among others. His research has focused on exploring Indigenous and sociocultural realities that influence education, psychology, and Mātauranga Māori. He is world-renowned and has led many Kaupapa Māori research teams throughout his academic career. As a testament to his role as a true healer, he consistently considers hapū and iwi, connecting with audiences who have the greatest need. Angus has had considerable academic influence, exemplified by his outstanding publications and supervision of students from undergraduate to PhD levels, as well as early-career researchers. His contribution to Mātauranga Māori places him at the highest level of te whare wānanga, ko te tihi o manono.
His dedication is reflected in his extensive publications and the usable tools, frameworks, and resources he has spearheaded. His work includes The Hikairo Schema and He Awa Whiria, among his vast and prolific research profile. As expected for someone of Angus’s calibre, he has been recognized with many awards for his contributions and dedication to Indigenous and sociocultural realities. Distinctions for Angus date back to 1995. Examples of these awards include the Tohu Pae Tawhiti Award from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research in 2010, the University of Canterbury Research Medal in 2013 (the first-ever Māori recipient and the highest honor the University of Canterbury council can extend to its academic staff), the national Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence award for specialist services in the field of Kaupapa Māori in 2015, and admission to the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 2021.
Service to Māori in Mātauranga Māori
Angus has demonstrated exceptional research excellence and dedicated service to Māori communities through a series of influential publications that integrate Mātauranga Māori and culturally responsive practices across various disciplines. In "The Imperative of Indigenous Knowledge" with Krumm, Duckworth, and Harris (2021), Angus emphasizes the foundational principles of Mātauranga Māori for non-Indigenous professionals, showcasing a commitment to bridging cultural knowledge systems.
Additionally, Angus's collaboration with Nieto Angel, Vahl, and others (2021) on the influence of Paulo Freire’s educational philosophy in Aotearoa/New Zealand highlights the global dialogue in education through an Indigenous-informed lens. Angus's research on Māori student success, co-authored with Duckworth, Gibson, and S. Macfarlane (2021), revisits and enriches understandings of Indigenous educational achievements, contributing valuable insights for enhancing Māori educational outcomes.
In the development of a classroom-based program for bilingual education in Te reo Māori-English settings, alongside Denston and colleagues (2021), Angus highlights the effective application of Mātauranga Māori in educational settings, fostering bilingualism and cultural pride among students. The articulation of essential cultural conditions for Māori student success in "Mana Tangata: The Five Optimal Cultural Conditions for Māori Student Success" (Webber & Macfarlane, 2020) further exemplifies his commitment to creating supportive learning environments for Māori learners.
Angus’s interdisciplinary research in "Braiding the rivers of geomorphology and mātauranga Māori" (Wilkinson & Macfarlane, 2020) and the integration of Indigenous knowledge in Earth science (Wilkinson, Hikuroa, Macfarlane, & Hughes, 2020) showcases the merging of scientific and Māori worldviews, promoting sustainable and culturally attuned environmental practices. Advocacy for culturally inclusive research is evident in "Listen to culture: Māori scholars’ plea to researchers" (Macfarlane & Macfarlane, 2019) and "Toitū te mātauranga" (Macfarlane & Macfarlane, 2018), reinforcing the value of Mātauranga Māori in contemporary research and ensuring that Māori voices are heard and respected.
In the collaborative work "Sharing the food baskets of knowledge: Creating space for a blending of streams" (Macfarlane, S., Macfarlane, A., & Gillon, G., 2015), Angus signaled the arrival of a highly sought-after approach to research and practice in various contexts. This 'convergence of streams' approach demonstrated that Western knowledge and theory, although fundamentally sound, are culturally bound and cannot be directly transferred to another (Indigenous Māori) culture. His collaborative work showed that an interdependent and innovative theoretical space, where the two streams of knowledge can be blended and interactive, facilitates greater sociocultural understanding and better outcomes for Indigenous individuals or groups who are the recipients of educational, sociological, and psychological professional practice interactions.
Through extensive contributions, including culturally responsive frameworks for phonological awareness development (Gillon & Macfarlane, 2017), culturally responsive tertiary programs (Britt et al., 2017), and effective leadership for Pasifika students (Taleni et al., 2018), Angus's pioneering research honors and integrates Mātauranga Māori. This body of work significantly enriches educational practices and policies, providing a robust foundation for the ongoing advancement of Māori knowledge and well-being. Angus's dedication to research excellence and service to Māori communities exemplifies a profound commitment to the upliftment and empowerment of Māori through education and scholarly engagement.
Public Interest Award - Dr Elizabeth du Preez
The Public Interest Award recognises valuable contributions to psychology in the service of the public interest. Nominees will have made significant and valuable contributions in the service of the public interest in areas that are of concern to psychologists with a significant impact to the discipline and practice of psychology. This includes but is not restricted to minorities or oppressed groups, educational matters, social or community problems, unemployment, mental health and psychological aspects of law. The 2024 Public Interest Award is conferred on Dr Elizabeth du Preez, Senior Lecturer and Head of Clinical Services for the School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Dr Elizabeth du Preez has a PhD in Psychology (University of Pretoria) and is a qualified Counselling and Clinical Psychologist. She was employed in Higher Education contexts in South Africa for 10 years before immigrating to Aotearoa/New Zealand and she has been at AUT since 2009. She was previously Head of Student Support and Guidance (AUT North Shore campus) and in this role developed reporting and guidance structures to enhance student experience and well-being. She serves as a consultant for the ADHB child and adolescent mental health service, and has over 20 years of experience working with young people, families, and adults in public and private mental health contexts. She has had a longstanding interest in the wellbeing of LGBTQI+ students.
Prior to Dr Elizabeth du Preez arrival to Aotearoa in 2009, the New Zealand Psychologist Board (NZPB) did not have Best Practice Guidelines for Psychologists working with the LGBTIQ+/Takatāpui communities. She initiated the development of these guidelines, led the 7-person authorship group (2016-2018), and she is currently involved in the revision of the National Best Practice Guidelines. The establishment of a national framework was a significant point in Aotearoa’s history, and this was recognised internationally when she successfully initiated the process for the New Zealand Psychological Society’s (NZPsS) to become a signatory to the APA International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues (IPsyNet) Statement on LGBTQI+ concerns (2019).
Dr Elizabeth du Preez has disseminated her research and promoted practical change by example with presentations such as "Developing Cultural Competence for Working with Diverse Sexualities" at the Aotearoa/New Zealand Psychological Society 50th Jubilee Conference (2018) with Paula Collens and scoping review, "Community-Based Support to Improve Mental Health and Wellbeing in Older Sexually and Gender Diverse People" (Aging and Mental Health, 2024), with C. Gasteiger and Paula Collens, endorsing community-based interventions for older LGBTIQ+ individuals.
Dr Elizabeth du Preez supported the Executive of the NZPsS to write the Statement on Conversion therapy, and subsequently published an article contextualising the publication of the “Statement on Conversion Therapy” for Psychology Aotearoa (2021). As an authority in the field, she was invited by the NZPB and the NZPsS to provide responses to national reforms, including the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022 and The Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021. She has presented at national conferences and her work in social justice issues has transformative impacts on practitioner education, healthcare provision and enhances the lives of the Rainbow communities who access services in Aotearoa.
She has co-authored an international review which was conducted as part of a national LGBTQI+/Takatāpui curriculum review project. It identifies barriers and challenges to including relevant content in university curricula. The review is published in the Waikato Journal of Education and the findings are used to enhance the process of inclusion of LGBTQI+/Takatāpui content in PG Psychology Programmes in Aotearoa.
Dr Elizabeth du Preez has worked tirelessly as an activist scholar and practitioner in service of the Rainbow communities. She has instigated the policies and statements of our major psychology institutions to uphold the needs of LGBTQI+ community. In this way we are guided to maintain best practices concerning sexuality, gender, and diversity to promote inclusivity and equity at a time when our LGBTQI+ communities are increasingly being undermined. Dr Elizabeth du Preez’s work has had a significant positive public impact on the discipline and practice of psychology and she embodies the values and aims of this award.
Tony Taylor Award- Dr Iain McCormick & Stewart Forsyth
The Tony Taylor Award recognises an individual who has a publication in any area of applied psychology dealing with social issues. Nominees will have produced a publication in the previous two calendar years that is relate to an area of applied psychology dealing with social issues. It can include books, chapters of books, or video or digital content that is substantial.
The 2024 Tony Taylor Award is awarded to Dr Iain McCormick, Founder and Partner of the Executive Coaching Centre, Auckland and Stewart Forsyth, Executive Coach and Human Resources Consultant.
Dr Iain McCormick has extensive management consulting experience, and over this time has worked for many major multinational and large national corporations. He has a Master of Social Science, Diploma in Clinical Psychology and a PhD in Organisational Psychology. In recent years he has focused on group supervision and he is the author of Reflective Practice for Coaches: A Guidebook for Advanced Professional Development, Routledge.
Stewart Forsyth is an executive coach and organisational consultant who supports individual and teams in professional and leadership roles locally and overseas. He has an in MA Psychology (University of Auckland), Post-graduate Diploma Clinical Psychology (University of Auckland), Fellow Human Resources Institute of NZ and a Fellow of the New Zealand Psychological Society.
Their paper “Assessing the effectiveness of group based reflective practice for coaches” was published this year in the International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring (McCormick, I., & Forsyth, S. (2024). Assessing the effectiveness of group based reflective practice for coaches. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching & Mentoring, 22(1), 293-302. doi:10.24384/rhbp-8660). It used group based reflective practice to assist practitioners enhancing 
their capability through deliberate, systematic evaluation of their thinking and actions. The study considered 19 group-based reflective practice sessions, undertaken with 31 individual coaches who addressed a 100 unique issues. By using client-generated outcome and coaching relationship measures it was possible to assess the effectiveness of coaching development using a within subject control design.
This research offered a real world, experiential practical example that group-based reflective practice sessions that may assist traditional classroom or virtual coaching skills training. This approach offered coaches the opportunity to observe live coaching sessions in action.
Dr Iain McCormick and Stewart Forsyth have used applied psychological methods to document the effectiveness of group-based professional development for coaching psychologists and non-psychologist coaches, recognising that this as with most research, is a starting point for further investigation. Their organisational psychologist colleagues have spoken highly of undertaking this programme and the impact it has had on their practice.
Postgraduate Student Social Justice Research Scholarship - Linda Fatialofa
The Postgraduate Student Social Justice Research Scholarship is intended to support students to conduct research on a significant social justice issue e.g. poverty, social inequality, discrimination, etc. as part of a recognised post-graduate degree in psychology at a New Zealand university
The Postgraduate Student Social Justice Research Scholarship recipient for 2024 is Linda Fatialofa. Linda is a Pacific Researcher and is studying for a PhD in Forensic Psychology at Victoria University
Linda describes her research below:
Understanding the complex causes of youth offending is essential for effective intervention and prevention strategies. My current research aims to centre young people’s interactions with the youth justice system within a broader social, cultural, and economic landscape. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the experiences and voices of Māori and Pacific justice-involved youth are crucial to understanding this phenomenon, given the historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation, systemic inequities, and socio-economic challenges. By utilising a grounded theory approach, my research seeks to uplift these perspectives, offering a nuanced understanding and highlighting significant social justice issues in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Karahipi Tumuaki Presidents Scholarship - Aryan McKay
The Karahipi Tumuaki Presidents Scholarship is one of the Society’s highest awards that confers connection to a whakapapa of bicultural commitment that began in 1999. The Karahipi Tumuaki President’s Scholarship is a post-graduate scholarship awarded each year to a Māori student (or students). The scholarship covers the full scope of psychological work, including students in professional practice programs as well as those pursuing traditional academic study.
The Karahipi Tumuaki Presidents Scholarship recipient for 2024 is Aryan McKay. Aryan is of Ngāpuhi (Ngāti Mōrewa, Ngāti Rangi), Ngāti Porou (Ngāti Kohoni), Ngāti Wai (Te Uri o Hikihiki), Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti (Ngāti Konohi) descent and is enrolled in a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology programme at Massey University.
Aryan describes her research as:
My doctoral rangahau explores the hauora benefits and therapeutic applications of taonga pūoro through a mana wāhine lens. Ton my knowledge, this is the first doctoral study to conduct a broad, systematic, qualitative investigation of this topic from a combined mātauranga Māori and psychological viewpoint.
My rangahau supports Māori community-driven aspirations to restore and disseminate knowledge around the healing and hauora elements of taonga pūoro that were suppressed due to the negative impacts of colonisation. Gathering this knowledge will help build an evidence-base to promote the use of taonga pūoro and, by extension, mātauranga Māori-based practices, to provide more culturally safe and effective psychological practice with whaiora and whānau Māori. Taonga pūoro are believed to be te reo o ngā Atua, ngā tūpuna, me te taiao. As such, they connect whānau with these elements to support holistic, wairuadriven healing and recovery from distress, including intergenerational trauma. Engagement in this practice also drives a deep desire to reclaim and heal our whenua which is integral to restoring Māori autonomy over our hauora. This includes both greater involvement in physically looking after our whenua as well as the use of taonga pūoro for wairua healing. Anecdotally, during my clinical internship I saw a positive difference in the way rangatahi and whānau Māori engaged with taonga pūoro versus non-Māori practices. I used taonga pūoro to help build whanaungatanga, enhance connection with whakapapa, identity, te ao wairua and te taiao, aid strength-based reflection, and support mindfulness/mauri tau, mana wāhine, and trauma work. I also saw the excitement of Kaimahi Māori at the prospect of incorporating taonga pūoro into their mahi. Strengthening the evidence-base behind this approach is vital to making taonga pūoro more accessible as a therapeutic practice.
Past award recipients
