Suzanne Georgina Pitama is a New Zealand academic, is

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, of

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi (tribe) located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The Kahungunu iwi also comprises 86 hapū (sub-tribes ...

and Ngāti Whare descent and as of 2020 is a full

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Early life

Pitama was educated at

Wairoa College Wairoa College is a co-educational secondary school located in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. It was expanded to include students from years 7 and 8 in 2005. A building project to accommodate the increased roll was complete by 2008. Wairoa Col ...

, and qualified in psychology at

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

. She then undertook

postgraduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

and

doctoral studies A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

Massey University Massey University () is a Public university, public research university in New Zealand that provides internal and distance education. The university has campuses in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Wellington. Data from Universities New Zealand ...

and the University of Otago.

Academic career

Pitama was already a registered clinical psychologist before she completed the first-ever

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

undertaken in indigenous medical education, submitting her thesis, ''"As natural as learning pathology": the design, implementation and impact of indigenous health curricula within medical schools'', at the

in 2013. Pitama was promoted to full professor from February 2020. In December 2021, she was appointed Dean and Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Christchurch, effective February 2022. Pitama's research focuses on indigenous experiences in the health system, and how medical education can improve health disparities.

Awards

In 2015, Pitama received the AKO Aotearoa Prime Minister's Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence. In 2017 Pitama featured as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's

150 women in 150 words The "150 women in 150 words" project was undertaken by the Royal Society Te Apārangi and published during their 150th anniversary celebrations in 2017. The aim of the project was "celebrating women's contributions to expanding knowledge in New Z ...

. Pitama was also awarded the 2018 Metge Medal for 'excellence and building relationships in the social science research community'. Pitama was also awarded the 2023 Dame

Marie Clay Dame Marie Mildred Clay ( ; née Irwin; 3 January 1926 – 13 April 2007) was a researcher from New Zealand known for her work in educational literacy. She was committed to the idea that children who struggle to learn to read and write can be ...

Award by the

New Zealand Psychological Society The New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) is one of the professional associations for psychologists in New Zealand. It is the largest professional body for psychologists in New Zealand, providing for both research psychologists and practici ...

. Pitama is the Director of the Māori/Indigenous Health Institute (MIHI) at the University of Otago. In February 2022, she became university's first Māori female Dean of a medical school campus, when she became the Dean and Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Christchurch.

Selected works

* * * * * *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pitama, Suzanne Living people New Zealand women academics Year of birth missing (living people) University of Otago alumni Academic staff of the University of Otago New Zealand Māori women academics New Zealand Māori academics Ngāti Kahungunu people Ngāti Whare University of Auckland alumni Massey University alumni People educated at Wairoa College