Michelle Thompson-FawcettTwo University of Otago professors and a former Otago academic have been elected as fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand academy, for distinction in research. Prof Gemmell was "internationally renowned" for his contribution to genomics, evolutionary biology, conservation biology and reproductive biology, a society spokeswoman said. Prof Thompson-Fawcett was a world-leading specialist in advancing contemporary matauranga Maori (Maori knowledge) and fostering "indigenous approaches to culturally sustainable environmental futures", the spokeswoman said. Her work with indigenous communities had generated pathways for holistic, integrated, intergenerational indigenous approaches that recognised relationships, environmental interactions and Treaty obligations. He had co-designed with Prof Rawinia Higgins a Maori language revitalisation model which had since been incorporated into policy, had informed new legislation — Te Ture mo Te Reo Maori (Maori Language Act 2016) — and had been implemented to accelerate the learning of te reo in schools.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 14, 2021 15:33 UTC