Bridgette Masters-Awatere

Bridgette Masters-Awatere is a New Zealand academic and practising psychologist, and is a full professor at the University of Waikato, specialising in Māori psychology and health.

Bridgette Masters-Awatere
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Waikato, Auckland Girls' Grammar School
Thesis
Doctoral advisorNeville Robertson, Linda Waimarie Nikora
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Waikato

Early life and education

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Masters-Awatere affiliates to Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, and Ngai te Rangi iwi.[1] She was educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School, where she was a member of the whānau group Ngā Tūmanako o Kahurangi. Masters-Awatere originally planned to study te reo Māori and art history, but after attending a lecture by Moana Jackson she became interested in psychology.[1] Masters-Awatere trained as a community psychologist and worked in private practice before continuing her studies.[1] Masters-Awatere completed a PhD titled "That's the price we pay": Kaupapa Māori Programme stakeholder experiences of external evaluation at the University of Waikato. Her research was supervised by Linda Waimarie Nikora and Neville Robertson.[2]

Academic career

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Masters-Awatere joined the faculty of the University of Waikato, rising to full professor in 2024.[3] Since 2019, she is Director of the Māori and Psychology Research Unit, and leads the only Board-accredited community psychology training programme for professional practice in New Zealand.[4][1]

Master-Awatere serves as the Director of Professional Development and Training for the New Zealand Psychological Society.[5] She is part of the New Zealand Policy Research Institute's research team on Low Literacy & Numeracy, funded by an MBIE Endeavour Grant.[6] Masters-Awatere also contributes to the Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga Centre of Research Excellence, which aims to use research to address real world challenges facing Māori.[7] She is also a part of the Deep South National Science Challenge, which is focused on understanding and adapting to climate change.[4]

Masters-Awatere's research focuses on values-based research to address issues resulting from inequity in health and psychology.[8] She has worked on the experiences of low-vision Māori during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the inclusion of Mātauranga Māori in literacy and numeracy education, and how health, wellbeing and the environment are connected.[9]

Honours and awards

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Masters-Awatere was elected a Fellow of the New Zealand Psychological Society.[3]

Selected works

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Bridgette Masters-Awatere | 100 Maori Leaders". 100maorileaders.com. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  2. ^ Masters-Awatere, Bridgette (2015). "That's the price we pay": Kaupapa Māori Programme stakeholder experiences of external evaluation (PhD thesis). Waikato Research Commons, University of Waikato. hdl:10289/9809.
  3. ^ a b "Waikato celebrates 2024 academic promotions :: University of Waikato". www.waikato.ac.nz. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Bridgette Masters-Awatere – Deep South Challenge". deepsouthchallenge.co.nz. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Structure & Governance :: NZ Psychological Society". www.psychology.org.nz. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Research Team - New Zealand Policy Research Institute - AUT". nzpri.aut.ac.nz. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  7. ^ "People | Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga". maramatanga.ac.nz. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  8. ^ University of Waikato. "Academic profile: Professor Bridgette Masters-Awatere". profiles.waikato.ac.nz. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Professor Bridgette Masters-Awatere: Research". profiles.waikato.ac.nz. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
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