University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau

14/10/2026

14/10/2026

We are proud to celebrate the next generation of leaders making an impact on our communities 🙌

Last week, 149 students were recognised at the 2026 Distinguished Graduate Awards. These individuals have demonstrated exceptional dedication across four key pillars: leadership, community engagement, global citizenship, and innovation.

Please join us in congratulating this year's recipients on this well-deserved achievement.

13/10/2026

A dark doormat that looks like a hole in the floor. A patterned carpet that appears uneven. These are just some of the ways dementia can change how people experience their surroundings, even within homes they’ve lived in for decades.

As the condition affects how the brain processes visual information, judging depth and distance – and recognising everyday objects – becomes increasingly difficult and hazardous.

Today, an estimated 83,000 New Zealanders live with dementia – a figure projected to nearly double by 2050 – with the vast majority remaining in their own homes.

Our work at the University’s Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research suggests basic design changes can make homes safer and more comfortable for people with dementia:

- Consider flooring. Consistent colours and tones tend to work best, as patterns or sudden changes in colour can be mistaken for obstacles or changes in depth.

- Contrast can make things easier to see. This might include using different colours for walls and floors, or making chairs stand out clearly against the floor. A black tap can appear more clearly against a white basin than a silver tap. Light switches are easier to find when they contrast with the wall around them.

- Clearing objects below knee height from floors can lower the risk of trips and falls. Removing or covering mirrors can reduce confusion and distress.

- Traditional k***s and controls on appliances and fittings can be much simpler to understand than sleek modern controls and touchscreens.

Dementia-friendly design doesn’t have to mean expensive renovations.

Steps as simple as taking away a confusing mat, using stronger colour contrasts, or making an important fixture easier to see can help make a home safer and easier to navigate.

To develop our new programme, we worked with Alzheimer’s New Zealand, The Village Architect, aged-care professionals and people living with dementia.

Our programme includes four new courses suitable for people with dementia, their whānau and caregivers, aged-care workers, architects, designers, and others involved in creating or adapting homes.

We developed a kaupapa Māori framework to guide design for people with mate wareware (dementia).

Learn more about the research here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/09/25/ngaire-kerse-keisha-rawiri-dementia-friendly-design.html

13/10/2026

Flexible online learning helped Jenny Jefferson take on an MBA during one of the busiest periods of her life.

As a new mum, Jenny decided the time was right to begin her postgraduate journey, enrolling in the University’s Master of Business (MBA) programme as a part-time student.

"It was the right time for me to challenge myself in a different way, alongside motherhood," she says. "And it all naturally fell into place."

Jenny found that rather than making compromises, the MBA ended up working around her life.

"I’ve been diligent throughout my MBA," she adds. "If I didn’t have an assignment that week, I made sure I didn’t work at all on weekends. It was important that I took a break and had that precious family time. I’ve been able to pace myself and make it work."

The MBA also helped Jenny to bring to life a budding business idea.

Jointly founded by Jenny and friend Kelly Haysom, the start-up, The Teacher’s Connections, aims to connect families with trusted educators who can support them with tutoring, babysitting and other supplementary learning opportunities.

Beyond the virtual classroom and her start-up, her studies have also been instrumental to her current role as a programmes manager.

"Sometimes it’s very easy to want to just stick to things you’re good at, but when you step out of your comfort zone you learn the most!”

Read more about Jenny’s story and the MBA here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/10/06/jenny-jefferson-mba.html

Are you considering future study? We've brought together some of Aotearoa's brightest minds to discuss how you can stay ahead in an AI-powered world: https://response.auckland.ac.nz/ignite?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Organic&utm_campaign=2026

11/10/2026

For Mental Health Awareness Week, Professor Sarah Hetrick talks about her career in youth mental health, and why she keeps arriving at the same conclusion: connection matters.

When Sarah Hetrick was 14 years old, she lost two classmates to su***de. Although she didn’t realise it at the time, the experience would eventually lead to a career devoted to understanding how young people experience distress and what helps them through it.

Today, Sarah is a professor of youth mental health at the University, where she is co-director of Te Ata Hāpara Centre for Su***de Prevention Research. They’re responsibilities she balances with work as a registered clinical psychologist. In September, she also became research director of Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ), the country’s largest contemporary longitudinal cohort study of child development.

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘Belonging Matters’, highlighting how opportunities to belong strengthen our well-being and communities. Through decades of clinical and research experience, Sarah agrees that creating a strong sense of connection is vital for fostering youth mental health.

As the recently appointed research director of GUiNZ, she is leading the landmark study that has followed the lives of more than 6,000 children since 2009 and 2010. The study is now tracking the participants’ transition into adulthood.

The role holds personal significance for the mother of two children, aged 17 and 14.

“What makes this study particularly special for me is that my teenagers are the same age as the Growing Up in New Zealand participants, and I see firsthand both the opportunities and challenges facing young people today.

“I love watching that process unfold as young people begin to understand who they are, where they fit and what gives their lives meaning.”

Read more about Sarah in this month’s UniNews here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/10/01/sarah-hetrick-profile.html

08/10/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Blues Awards recipients. The Blues Awards recognise students who have demonstrated excellence, leadership and meaningful contribution across a range of areas.

It was a privilege to come together and celebrate the remarkable people who help shape our University community.

The 2026 Major Award Winners

🏆 Most Meritorious Performance:
• Arts & Cultural - Samuel David Foote, Benjamin Mark Jones, Jumana Maash, Chloe Georgina Mills
•Business & Innovation - Maadhav Arora, Mihir Ojas Rallapudi, Nathaniel Malik Josiah Brown
•Service & Leadership - Dylan Yash Chand
• Sport - George Lee Rush

🏆 Sportsman of the Year - George Lee Rush

🏆 Sportswoman of the Year - Catherine Olivia Hall
*Award received in absentia

🏆 Para-athlete Sportsperson of the Year - Michael John Whittaker

🏆 Māori Major Award - Emma Haley Walker

🏆 Pasifika Major Award - Arie Geoffry Rasmussen Magasiva

Read more about this year's recipients and view the full list of winners: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/awards-and-prizes/blues-awards/2026-blues-awards-winners.html

07/10/2026

The Heart Foundation has granted $2.32 million for University projects aiming to improve heart health. The funding supports eight research projects and provides $13,500 for summer studies.

Read more about the projects: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/10/07/heart-foundation-grants-for-university.html

06/10/2026

A week in the life working full-time, studying a postgraduate diploma part-time, juggling a social life, family responsibilities and personal time. It can be busy, but it is fulfilling 🙌

Choosing to return to postgraduate study is not an easy decision, with time management being a big concern. However, through the flexibility of postgraduate study, support services at the University and the people around, it is possible to lead a balanced lifestyle, expand knowledge and opportunities, and further pursue educational passions.

Are you considering future study? We've brought together some of Aotearoa's brightest minds to discuss how you can stay ahead in an AI-powered world.

Tap into practical insights in this free series built for busy professionals like you who are shaping their future: https://response.auckland.ac.nz/ignite?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Organic&utm_campaign=2026

06/10/2026

Windows of UoA 🪟