Research leaders receive New Year Honours

Distinguished Professor Gaven Martin, who has won fellowships and prizes from almost every international research funding agency in the world, received the CNZM for his services to mathematics and education.

Distinguished Professor and Riddet Institute Fellow Laureate Paul Moughan was awarded the CNZM for his lifetime of research into protein digestion and metabolism, as well as the founding of globally significant research centres and his international advocacy for science.

Distinguished Professor Gaven Martin

Distinguished Professor Martin’s research has solved some of mathematics’ most challenging problems, and his advocacy has led to a recent transformation of the New Zealand mathematics curriculum.

He has been co-founder and Director of the New Zealand Mathematical Research Institute since 1998 and Director of the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study at Massey from 2007 to 2019. He has held appointments at prestigious international institutions including Yale University, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute at Berkeley and research roles at the Mittag-Leffler Institute in Sweden, University of Helsinki, Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), Institute des Haute Etudes (Paris) and Magdalen College (Oxford).

Professor Martin’s ability to translate intricate concepts into accessible texts has made him a vital contributor to the global mathematical community.

In 2021 he chaired the expert education panel for the Royal Society Te Apārangi charged with making recommendations to improve the state of mathematics education in New Zealand. At the time he was quoted describing it as “a god damn mess.”

The report made several recommendations and was adopted by Minister of Education, Erica Stanford as “the roadmap for the reform of mathematics education.”

Professor Martin says he was grateful to be recognised with a New Year Honour and he’s proud that trials of the new mathematics curriculum have had unprecedented success.

“I was lucky to be involved with a strong group of educators in developing the new curriculums. There is still a long way to go as we all understand, but at least now we are heading in the right direction.”

Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan

Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan is one of New Zealand’s foremost scientists in the areas of growth biology, digestive physiology and metabolism, and food chemistry. He has received numerous international awards in recognition of his work including the Alltech Medal of Honour (USA), the Wageningen University Supreme Silver Medal (Netherlands) and an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Guelph (Canada).

Professor Moughan says he was delighted to receive the New Zealand honour which recognises a lifetime of fundamental research into protein digestion and metabolism.

“It is particularly meaningful to be recognised by one’s fellow countrymen. It also gives pause to reflect on the numerous individuals who made it all possible, my postgraduate students, colleagues, my university, and first and foremost, my parents, wife Meredith and my immediate family.”

Professor Moughan says he is particularly proud of his team’s contribution over many years to research which significantly advanced an understanding of biological processes underlying growth, development and nutrition and the mechanisms of nutrient absorption and metabolism. Their findings have been applied in human nutrition and particularly in infant nutrition and in developing countries.

His work underpinned the development of the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score, which describes the protein quality ranking of foods, and was globally implemented in 2013 by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

“That work has had a great economic impact, particularly for the animal- based food industries and for New Zealand’s Primary Production sector. It is wonderful to see science and science advocacy recognised.”

Professor Moughan was also recognised for his prominent role in advocating for science. He has given more than 400 invited international scientific and public addresses, chaired reviews of overseas universities and science bodies and has led the FAO and World Health Organisation (WHO) expert consultations. He was a long-time advisory board member of the food company, Ralston Purina International and was Director of the Geoffrey Gardiner Foundation, the fourth largest philanthropic organisation in Australia, for more than 16 years.

Massey staff and alumni recognised in the New Year Honours List 2026:

Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM)

• Professor Graham Le Gros (Bachelor of Science 1978) for services to medical science.

Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM)

• Distinguished Professor Gaven Martin (staff member) for services to mathematics and education.
• Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan (Bachelor of Agriscience (Honours) 1978, Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture/Horticulture) 1985, Doctor of Science 1996 and former staff member) for services to science.

Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)

• Tony Egan (Master of Business Administration 1994) for services to the agricultural industry and community.
• Suzanne Porter (Master of Business Administration 2005) for services to the arts and event management.
• Professor Jens Mueller (staff member) for services to education.

Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)

• Dr Stephen Neville (Bachelor of Arts 1995, Master of Arts 1999, Doctor of Philosophy (Arts) 2006 and former staff member) for services to gerontology research and seniors.
• Sarah Wicken (Bachelor of Business Studies 1992) for services to business.
• Professor Traci Mafile’o (Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) 1995, Doctor of Philosophy (Arts) 2006, Postgraduate Certificate in Arts 2009 and former staff member) for services to Pacific and tertiary education.
• Malcolm Gillies (Graduate Diploma Business Studies 1995) for services to business.
• Alexandra Pasley (Master of Education Administration 2005) for services to education.
• Dr Lorraine Eade (Master of Arts 2007, Doctor of Philosophy (Arts) 2014, Master of Applied Social Work 2021, Postgraduate Certificate in Emergency Management) for services to Māori, governance and the community.
• Helena Tuteao (Bachelor of Social Work 2018) for services to people with disabilities and Māori.

King’s Service Medal (KSM)

• Delano Whyte (Bachelor of Science 1979) for services to sport and the community.
• Bonita Bigham (Master of Fine Arts 2019, Master of Māori Visual Arts 2021) for services to local Government and Māori.