News

On Monday 2 March, four University of Otago teachers received awards for teaching excellence. The awards went to Dr. Roslyn Kemp, Dr. Rachel Zajac, Associate Professor Christine Jasoni and Associate Professor Jacinta Ruru. Along with a certificate to recognise their efforts, they each received $7,500 to go towards teaching and materials.

Associate Professor Christine Jasoni, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, said she is “both delighted and humbled” to receive the award. “It is an indication that I am on the right track with my teaching, antd that is always good to hear.”

“My favourite part of teaching is enthusing and engaging students with things that they either thought were too hard for them or that they had never thought about before,” Jasoni said. “This is exciting to me because it means that I can have a positive impact on the lives of young people, and that means a lot to me.”

Associate Professor Jacinta Ruru is a Senior Lecturer of Law, focusing on indigenous people’s rights to land and resources internationally. Ruru also received the Kaupapa Māori award. “I feel so honoured and humbled to receive this award,” she said in a media release.

“There are so many amazing Māori teachers at Otago; it’s great to have this recognition for what we do in supporting students, particularly Māori students, to succeed at Otago.”

Dr. Rachel Zajac, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, said “I put my heart and soul into designing and delivering my lecture material, and so it’s fantastic to have that recognised by the university,” Zajac said.

“I was an Otago undergraduate, and my career was shaped by some fabulous lecturers who really sparked my interest,” she added. “I want to pass that interest on to my students.”

Dr. Roslyn Kemp is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. On top of this, she also conducts research with graduate students.
Kemp said, “Cell immunology is a horribly complicated subject, and it’s not a black and white thing. Students all understand different bits differently, and you have to change your teaching constantly depending on how they understand the material. What’s awesome is when they put it all together, and that is very rewarding.”

“You have a class filled with all sorts of people and personalities, so you get a lot of feedback from different students and it’s all really interesting,” said Kemp.