2026 University Research Medals celebrate excellence, innovation and leadership

Dean, Postgraduate Research Professor Tracy Riley, who chairs the selection committee, says It was a real privilege to chair this year’s selection panel.

“The exceptional calibre of nominations made for some difficult decisions and reflects the breadth, depth and impact of research across Massey. I warmly congratulate this year’s recipients and acknowledge the outstanding contributions of all nominees.”

Supervisor Research Medal - Professor Vicki Karaminas

Professor Vicki Karaminas is a distinguished researcher, educator and postgraduate supervisor whose sustained leadership over more than two decades has made an outstanding contribution to postgraduate research education.

Since beginning her academic career in 2002, Professor Karaminas has fostered a strong and supportive intellectual community for higher degree students, championing excellence and innovation in postgraduate research. Her approach extends beyond academic supervision to support timely completion, employability, professional development and the networks students need to build successful careers in academia and industry.

An internationally-recognised expert in her field, Professor Karaminas is highly sought after as a supervisor and examiner. She has supervised 23 postgraduate students to successful and timely completion and examined 20 postgraduate theses. The quality of her supervision is reflected in the achievements of her students, including two doctoral candidates whose theses were recognised on the Dean’s List of Exceptional Theses and three students who received Red Dot Design Awards.

Professor Karaminas’ international reputation and research record have further strengthened the university’s profile and attracted postgraduate researchers. Her academic distinction has been recognised through prestigious honours and appointments, including the Humanities Aronui Medal from Royal Society Te Apārangi in 2024, an Honorary Adjunct Professorship at the University of Sydney, an Honorary Fellowship at the University of Melbourne and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 2026.

As one of Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts’ (CoCA) most accomplished postgraduate supervisors and researchers, Professor Karaminas exemplifies sustained excellence in research supervision, mentorship and postgraduate leadership. Her commitment to developing emerging researchers, combined with the exceptional achievements of her students and her international academic standing, demonstrates an enduring contribution to postgraduate research excellence.

Supervisor Research Medal - Associate Professor Geoffrey Watson

Associate Professor Geoffrey Watson has demonstrated an exceptional and sustained commitment to postgraduate research and supervision at Massey, distinguished by his compassionate, collegial and student-centred approach.

Over his career, he has supervised 20 doctoral students, with 17 successfully completed, and 30 master’s students, with 20 completed. For 16 years, he has served as postgraduate coordinator across the Schools of History, Philosophy and Classics, Humanities and more recently Humanities, Media and Creative Communication, supporting generations of postgraduate students throughout their research journeys. He has also contributed four years of service as a College of Humanities and Social Sciences representative on the Doctoral Research Committee.

Dr Watson is highly regarded for the care and commitment he brings to postgraduate supervision and mentoring. He consistently goes beyond the expectations of formal supervision, supporting students’ academic and personal development, organising postgraduate development activities, assisting international students and providing stability and leadership during periods of change. Strong student testimonials and positive student outcomes demonstrate the lasting value of this approach.

Through his many years of supervision, postgraduate coordination, mentoring and academic service, Dr Watson has made an enduring contribution to Massey’s postgraduate research community. His sustained dedication to creating a supportive environment in which postgraduate researchers can develop and succeed exemplifies excellence in postgraduate supervision and academic citizenship.

Individual Research Medal - Professor Jasna Rakonjac

Professor Jasna Rakonjac is an internationally-recognised leader in microbiology whose research career has advanced the fields of filamentous phage biology, phage display technology and antibiotic discovery and development.

Over 23 years at Massey University, Professor Rakonjac has established a thriving and internationally influential research programme. Her research excellence is demonstrated through more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, alongside a strong record of competitive research funding. She has secured three Marsden Fund grants, two Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) grants and a European Union Marie Curie Individual Fellowship, contributing to more than $7 million in external research funding.

The reach and impact of Professor Rakonjac’s research extend well beyond her own laboratory. More than 70 research laboratories nationally and internationally have benefited from her phage-based tools, materials and expertise, supporting further discoveries including novel vaccine targets. Her long-standing international collaborations, invited presentations and contributions to major publications and conferences further reflect her standing as an expert in her field.

Professor Rakonjac has also translated research excellence into innovation and commercial impact. Her intellectual property portfolio includes four patents, with two additional patents pending, and her research has contributed to the establishment of two start-up companies, Nanophage Technologies and Retrabac Therapeutics. Her receipt of both Marsden and MBIE Smart Ideas funding in 2025 has enabled new directions that bring together her phage and antibiotic research programmes.

Her contribution to research extends to national service and leadership. She received the New Zealand Microbiological Society’s Distinguished Orator Award in 2019 and has contributed her expertise to national advisory and assessment roles, including the Technical Advisory Committee supporting Genetic Technology legislation, as well as Health Research Council (HRC) and Performance-Based Research Fund committees. She is equally committed to developing future research capability, mentoring 12 junior staff and supervising postgraduate researchers.

Through the combination of research excellence, international influence, successful commercialisation, national leadership and mentorship of emerging researchers, Professor Rakonjac has established an outstanding and enduring research legacy, with significant impact within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

Early Career Research Medal - Dr Angelique Reweti

Dr Angelique Reweti is an emerging leader in kaupapa Māori public health research whose work explores how health systems can be transformed when whānau knowledge, mātauranga Māori and Indigenous leadership are placed at their centre.

In the four years since completing her PhD, Dr Reweti has established a distinctive and highly productive research programme spanning Indigenous health systems, maternal wellbeing, food sovereignty, whānau-led wellbeing and Indigenous research methodologies. Grounded in kaupapa Māori, her research is undertaken with communities rather than on communities, recognising whānau, hapū and Indigenous communities as knowledge holders and partners throughout the process. Her research record includes 19 publications, three book chapters, 20 conference proceedings and a range of interdisciplinary outputs, alongside more than $260,000 in research funding secured as a primary investigator from the HRC and other research partners.

A particular strength of Dr Reweti’s research is its translation into meaningful outcomes for communities, policy and practice. Her development of the Wāhi Kōrero platform represents an innovative methodological contribution with demonstrated policy uptake through Health New Zealand’s Kahu Taurima redesign. Other examples include the Māmā Aroha app, with approximately 1,700 downloads each quarter and enduring whānau- and hapū-led partnerships including Reweti Whānau Hui and Ngā Hapū o te Ahuahu. Together, these initiatives demonstrate her ability to translate rigorous research into culturally-grounded resources and health-system change.

Her growing national and international standing has been recognised through competitive research funding and prestigious awards, including the inaugural HRC Te Ata Hāpara Award and the Ilona Kickbusch Award.

Dr Reweti is also building a strong record of research leadership and mentorship. She supervises or co-supervises four PhD and four master’s students, many undertaking kaupapa Māori or Indigenous health research. Her wider leadership includes serving as Chair of the Māori Caucus and an Executive Member of the Public Health Association of New Zealand, membership of Massey’s University Research Committee and appointment to the Editorial Board of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Through the strength of her scholarship, commitment to kaupapa Māori research, translation of evidence into tangible outcomes and rapidly developing research leadership, Dr Reweti has established an outstanding record of achievement for her career stage and a clear trajectory of national and international research influence.

Early Career Research Medal - Dr Zhenan Feng

Dr Zhenan Feng is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Built Environment (SBE), as well as an outstanding early-career researcher who has established an internationally-recognised research profile focused on improving human performance and safety in high-risk sectors.

Since joining Massey in 2020, and within six years of completing his PhD, Dr Feng has developed a distinctive research programme integrating immersive technologies, including virtual, augmented and mixed reality, serious games and building information modelling (BIM), to address challenges in the built environment. A particular strength of his research is its translation into real-world applications, with his work contributing to international safety guidelines, technology standards and industry practice.

Dr Feng has established an exceptional research record for his career stage. He has produced 53 publications, with 20 publications ranked within the top 10 per cent by citations and a field-weighted citation impact of 2.3. His research has also attracted significant competitive funding, including two US$100,000 grants from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, alongside involvement in multiple national and international research grants.

His growing international standing is reflected in his participation in influential international committees, including representing New Zealand in policy and standards-related forums. At Massey, Dr Feng leads the Digitalisation Research Group within SBE and contributes to the School Research Committee, while actively developing strategic partnerships with industry.

Dr Feng is equally committed to developing the next generation of researchers. He currently supervises four PhD and 14 master’s students, providing leadership and mentorship to a substantial cohort of emerging researchers.

Through the combination of outstanding research productivity, international influence, competitive funding success, research leadership, industry engagement and commitment to developing emerging researchers, Dr Feng has established an exceptional record for his career stage and a strong trajectory towards sustained international research leadership.

Exceptional Leadership in Advancing Māori Knowledge – Professor Huhana Smith MNZM

Professor Huhana Smith, Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Te Rangitāwhia, Te Mateawa, Ngāti Kapumanawawhiti ki Kuku, is an eminent researcher whose visionary work has made a transformative contribution to the advancement of Māori knowledge.

Over a career spanning nearly 30 years, Professor Smith has pioneered a transdisciplinary approach that brings together mātauranga Māori, environmental science and creative practice to address critical challenges including climate change and ecological degradation. Her internationally-recognised research is grounded in relationships with whenua and whānau, particularly the lands and wetlands of Kuku to which her whānau whakapapa.

Through her leadership of major Māori-led research initiatives, Professor Smith has advanced the role of Indigenous knowledge in climate adaptation, environmental restoration and environmental governance. Her work demonstrates the power of mātauranga Māori to support ecological regeneration while strengthening the cultural vitality, resilience and aspirations of Māori communities.

A highly respected researcher, colleague, mentor and leader within Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts (CoCA), Professor Smith has established an outstanding legacy of research excellence, Indigenous innovation and visionary leadership. Her scholarship, commitment to advancing mātauranga Māori and enduring impact for Māori communities and their whenua exemplify exceptional leadership in advancing Māori knowledge.

This is the first time the Exceptional Leadership in Advancing Māori Knowledge Medal has been awarded since it was established in 2024.

Exceptional Research Citizenship Whaowhia Ngā kete o Te Wānanga Research Medal - Professor Nicolette Sheridan

Professor Nicolette Sheridan is a distinguished academic nurse leader and researcher whose career demonstrates an exceptional commitment to research excellence, health equity, research citizenship and the translation of evidence into policy and practice.

With more than 40 years of experience across clinical practice, education and health services research, Professor Sheridan has established an outstanding record of scholarship and leadership. She has secured more than $20 million in competitive research funding, authored approximately 100 journal articles and 60 major policy and technical reports and led research that has contributed to health-system improvement, workforce development and the advancement of human and Indigenous rights.

A defining feature of Professor Sheridan’s contribution is her ability to connect high-impact scholarship with civic responsibility and public health advocacy. Her research has informed health policy and practice, with particularly significant contributions to health equity and Māori and Pacific research capacity. She has chaired government advisory groups and HRC funding panels, contributed to the scientific committee for the World Congress on Integrated Care and served on national and international committees addressing health professional education, nursing practice and workforce development.

Professor Sheridan’s leadership extends across the university and the wider health and research sectors. She serves as New Zealand Chair of the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, is a Fellow of Te Mata o te Tau Academy for Māori Research and Scholarship, Head of the School of Nursing and a member of Massey’s Academic Board and Māori Professoriate. She also contributes her expertise to the monitoring and development of nursing programmes and to Nursing Council panels relating to registered nurse prescribing and nurse practitioner scopes of practice.

Central to Professor Sheridan’s research citizenship is an enduring commitment to mentorship and research capacity building. Through the supervision and development of generations of doctoral and master’s researchers, alongside her wider professional and academic leadership, she has made a substantial contribution to strengthening nursing and health research capability.

Through the combination of research excellence, influential policy and practice contributions, sustained mentorship and outstanding institutional, national and international leadership, Professor Sheridan exemplifies the values of Whaowhia Ngā Kete o Te Wānanga and has established an enduring legacy of research citizenship and service.