The Engine of The New New Zealand

Mind the Gap

Talei Alani Smith

Masters in Education

Her ancestry is Fijian, Chinese, Kiribati, Australian and Scottish. It’s no wonder Talei’s fascinated by what ‘identity’ means.

Today she’s challenging the relevance of New Zealand's education system to the Pacific Island children and teenagers within it.

Doing the World's Dirty Dishes

Mark Elmore

Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)

Good design is not just about looking good, it's about doing things better.

Mark helped turn a common appliance - the Fisher & Paykel dishwasher - into the DishDrawer, now a global phenomenon.

He's Changing Batteries

Simon Hall

Inventor and Professor of Electrochemistry

You know how you use batteries for EVERYTHING that you do? (Well, almost everything).   An unassuming-looking, affable scientist, based in Palmerston North is going to ROCK YOUR WORLD.

We're a bit prone to exaggeration. But not too much. Simon Hall is a battery wizard. See he's been doing wonderful things with zinc

Spiderman

James McCarthy

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics)

He may not have the lycra suit, and James McCarthy can’t swing between buildings using a web-like substance - but he IS saving lives.

And he does have the title ‘Spiderman’ on his business card. Cool!

Bringing Technology to Life

Chris Chitty

Massey University Tutor (Product Development)

Take Chris Chitty, for example. He lectures at Massey but you may know him better as Dr. Robotech from TV2’s Lets get inventing.

Engineering has taken him to places you wouldn’t expect. Hollywood, to be precise, where his movie work won an Oscar and was nominated for a BAFTA.

Evolution revolution

Paul Rainey

Bachelor of Science (Genetics)

Paul Rainey took a test tube, added a healthy dose of curiosity, some original Kiwi thinking, and revolutionised the way the world thinks about evolution.

Kicking balls

Kit McConnell

Masters of Business Studies (Honours)

Kit McConnell's career reads like a sports management dream - from working for the Olympic Committee in Switzerland to heading the Rugby World Cup internationally (he's run the events in Australia and France, and now New Zealand), he's worked on some of the biggest sports events in the world.

Globetrotting Artist

Kelcy Taratoa

Masters of Maori Visual Arts

He's a New Zealand artist with his eye on the world. Kelcy's been chosen by a US patron as an artist with global potential.

Turning extinction into survival

David Raubenheimer

Bachelor of Natural Sciences

David Raubenheimer has dived to the sea's depths, and trekked through jungle, desert and snow around the world to find out how man and animals can better co-exist.

His work is having an impact on the very survival of some of the world’s most endangered species.

Taking maths to the world

Gaven Martin

Bachelor of Science (Mathematics)

At seven years old Gaven Martin was already challenging his teacher’s calculations of how fast the earth orbited the sun. His teenage years saw him hotwiring cars.

His career could have gone one of two ways...

Luckily for the scientific world, he chose mathematics.

Making the world's food safer

Hamish Gow

Bachelor of AgriCommerce

Think agricommerce means sitting around looking at pictures of paddocks on your computer all day? Think again.

Hamish Gow, agricommerce and agribusiness expert is helping make the world’s food safer and more affordable.

In real terms – that’s about putting a stop to world hunger. Nice.

Striking Oil

Sarah Gibbs

Bachelor of Business Studies (Accountancy)

When rosehip oil met Sarah Gibbs in the early 2000's the natural beauty industry didn’t really exist, especially not in New Zealand or Australia.

Today Trilogy is one of the world’s most successful natural beauty product ranges, sold in 16 countries and through thousands of retailers.

The iPad of Brewing

Ian Williams and Anders Warn

Bachelor of Science (Food Technology)

The best ideas are often the simplest.

Ian and Anders invented a home brewing machine. No one else had before.

Now the whole world wants one.

Tomato man

Ben Smith

Bachelor of Science (Horticulture)

Philosopher

Bill Fish

Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy)

When it comes to thinking, Bill Fish is the man.

He is one of the top ten philosophers in world in his field, and the world is taking note.

Widget wonder

Stu Bradbury and George Ricketts

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)

Farmers around the globe are getting better crop yields and saving water after two Massey graduates developed a world-first widget.

Class of Millions

Claire McLachlan

Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, Massey University

Claire’s work is having a practical impact on Kiwi kids’ day-to-day pre-school care.

That means an impact on literacy, and their ability to learn throughout their lives. And that’s getting international attention.

Taking NZ Fashion to the World

Kate Sylvester

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)

Kate Sylvester first designed and sold clothes at the age of 14. They were snapped up at her local markets.

Fast forward a few years. Kate owns a globally-successful fashion business. And her clothes are still being snapped up.  This time by the fashionistas of London, Sydney and Rome.

A sporting chance

Hamish Bond

Bachelor of Business Studies (Finance)

Hamish Bond probably doesn't sit around watching telly much.

A world-champion rower, Hamish has been doing some full-on time management/juggling to study business via distance learning as well. Sitting on his laurels/medals? Never.

Only one planet

Alice Andrew

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)

At the rate we are going, we’ll need 2.5 planets to sustain us by 2050.

Environmental engineer Alice is helping figure out how to make the Earth last longer.

Protecting Goalkeepers Goolies

Simon Barnett

Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) Marketing

It’s not like Simon was a huge hockey fan. He’s a guy with an eye for an opportunity and entrepreneurship running through his veins.

He honed his business skills with an Honours degree in Marketing, and then he was away, on the road to global domination.

Mitigating disaster

Sarb Johal

Disaster research and emergency management

Sarb and the team at the world-leading Centre are figuring out how to reduce the impact on people after a natural disaster.

And the world is taking notice.

Unlocking Minds

Siautu Alefaio-Tugia

Postgraduate Diploma (Psych)

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Would you want to fly? Have X-ray vision? Super-strength? Or perhaps hair that catches fire when you’ve had too much coffee?

Siautu Alefaio-Tugia already has hers - she can already unlock people's minds. And she’s using her powers to make the world a better place.

Natural Gas

Kirsty Hammond

PhD Animal Science

Kirsty is getting to the bottom of methane emissions.

She’s been working on how to better understand and get ruminants like cows and sheep to stop burping the greenhouse gas so much.

That would be a win-win for the environment and for farming.

Hot stuff

Shane Cronin

Bachelor of Science (Earth Science)

If you’re looking for a bit of Indiana Jones in your job, Shane Cronin’s is probably about as close as you get.

From Saudi Arabia to Iceland, Korea to Hawaii, Shane Cronin travels the world, helping countries figure out how to predict, and decrease the risk of volcanic eruption.

Saving Wildlife Everyday

Kerri Morgan

Bachelor of Veterinary Science

When a container ship is grounded, and New Zealand is facing potentially its worst-ever environmental disaster, New Zealand needs people like Kerri Morgan.