Sciences at University of Otago

17/06/2026

🏆The latest QS World University Rankings are out, and we’re proud to be among the world’s top 200 universities. Kia mau te wehi! 🌎

With over 1,500 institutions evaluated, QS offers the most comprehensive view of global higher education 💙💛

17/06/2026

👾 Forget Dungeons and Dragons, it’s Basements and Aliens in the steampunk surrounds of the historic Zoology building.

🚀 ZOOL412 Neurobiology and Behaviour may be a University paper, but it’s also an immersive, interactive simulation that sends postgraduate students on an extraterrestrial academic quest designed to give them the feeling of making a scientific breakthrough.

💥 “That feeling of discovery – to me, that’s the essence of science. We wanted to capture that feeling in a bottle for students,” says Senior Lecturer Bart Geurten, who developed the paper with Teaching Fellow Joseph Cahill-Lane.

👽 You can read more about the kaupapa of the paper – which includes alien animals, neuroscience and crypto bros – on the University website.

https://www.otago.ac.nz/about/news/newsroom/simulation-outbreak-traced-to-zoology-department

Zoology Department, University of Otago - new

Forget 'Dungeons and Dragons', it’s 'Basements and Aliens' in the steampunk surrounds of Zoology's historic Marples Building.

16/06/2026

✨ Alumnus Rodney Wong says his favourite quote comes from philosopher Sun Tzu: “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”

👑 This might explain why the Science graduate ended up becoming a CEO, starring in a documentary and, most recently, being made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the community. Kia mau te wehi!

🏠 It’s quite a trajectory for someone who spent his University years living in a flat called “The Hovel”.

You can read Rodney’s inspirational story here 👇

Otago alumnus Rodney Wong (黃 华 鈴) says his favourite quote comes from philosopher Sun Tzu: “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”

15/06/2026

🦭 Though the pakake (sea lion) population is in decline, their numbers in Dunedin are growing.

🙏 Tautoko Professional Practice Fellow Hanna Ravn, who appeared on Newstalk ZB to share tips for keeping pakake safe on Otago roads.

"We have mums and pups that are trying to get away from the big, boisterous males that are on the beaches and they do that by going inland,” Hanna says.

💞 Taking care on the roads will help ensure this taonga species continues to thrive.

You can listen to the interview with Hanna here 👇

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/hanna-ravin-university-of-otago-zoology-expert-on-the-rise-in-sea-lions-blocking-dunedin-roads/

Marine Science Otago

Dunedin drivers are being warned to watch out for sea lions on the road as more of them keep venturing inland.

14/06/2026

🚴 Health monitoring “wearables” are more popular than ever – but do they help or hinder us?

🏃 Professor Chris Button says they’re a good tool when it comes to monitoring activity, but not faultless.

“I wouldn't dismiss them because they can be very effective, particularly in combination with apps that can help motivate people. But we do need to look at them very critically.

“They are more like a personal trainer on your wrist, not a doctor.”

You can read the full story here 👇

https://www.stuff.co.nz/health/360989883/help-or-hinder-are-wearables-helping-our-health-or-making-us-more-anxious

School of Physical Education Sport & Exercise Sciences, University of Otago

Smart watches, rings, and clothing are becoming more and more commonplace. But are their health-monitoring functions worth the hype or causing more harm than good?

11/06/2026

🙌 Tautoko Elea Hargreaves, a recipient of the Meat Industry Association scholarship aimed at tauira pursuing careers beyond the farm gate.

🥝 Elea is studying for a Bachelor of Food Science, with a minor in marketing. With a family background in sheep, cattle and kiwifruit, she hopes to channel her passion for science into the food industry.

“I know how satisfying it is to grow good food,” she says.

🥳 Ka nui te mihi kia koe, Elea – we wish you all the very best for your studies and beyond.

You can read Elea’s story here 👇

Whakamārama teen earns meat industry scholarship

10/06/2026

🕵️‍♀️ The Geology basement’s secret past has been revealed.

🐋 Most recently used to store ika moana (whale) skeletons and fossils, the basement began life as an air raid shelter – and it’s considered one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in Aotearoa.

🏫 New interpretive signage recognising the shelter’s authenticity and historical value was formally unveiled at a ceremony attended by representatives from the Otago Military History Group, Civil Defence and the University.

🕊️ Part of the importance of acknowledging the shelter is to encourage people to reflect on what life was like for those who lived through the wartime, and give thanks for whakaaio (peace).

👇 You can learn more, and watch a video tour here...

https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/hidden-beneath-campus-otagos-wwii-air-raid-shelter

Otago Geology - University of Otago, New Zealand

An air raid shelter hidden just below street level at the southeast corner of the University’s Geology Building is considered one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in New Zealand, according to Otago Military History Group representative Peter Trevathan.

09/06/2026

⛵ Grace Cinque’s spending her fourth year at Otago operating remote-controlled boats.

🚤 The Bachelor of Surveying tauira is this year’s recipient of a Discovery Marine scholarship, which comes with a year’s free tuition – and a tiny boat hooked up to an X-Box controller. Ka rawe!

🚣 It’s a dream opportunity for Grace, and it all started with a throwaway comment from her mum.

“I told mum I was looking at studying engineering at university, and she asked if I’d considered surveying instead,” Grace says.

“I looked into it, and I thought surveying sounded so cool. And when I found out there was hydrographic surveying on boats, I thought wow, that sounds perfect.” 💕

👇You can read more about Grace’s journey here...

Grace Cinque’s spending her fourth year at Otago operating remote-controlled boats.

08/06/2026

🏅 Tautoko Lachlan Cronin, Eve Finlayson and Max DeGroot, who’ve been awarded Energy Education Trust NZ scholarships 🎉

⚡ Lachlan, who was awarded the Energy Education Trust NZ Masters Scholarship to study energy physics, says the scholarship’s come at an opportune time.

“I’m off to the dentist tomorrow,” he says.

🔋 Eve and Max were awarded Energy Education Trust NZ Undergraduate Scholarships. Max, who’s studying energy demand flexibility, says the scholarship “saves me from working while I’m studying”.

🔮 Meanwhile Eve, who’s applying her studies in energy science to her family farm in Whangarei, is heading off on an exchange to Edinburgh this week ... and is literally living the dream.

“The University of Otago’s been my dream university since I was six,” she says.

🎊 Ka nui te mihi kia koe Lachlan, Eve and Max – we wish you all the best for your studies and beyond.

📸 L - R: Eve Finlayson, Max DeGroot and Lachlan Cronin.

PhysicsOtago

07/06/2026

🏄 When renowned marine biologist and deep-sea explorer Dr Nicole Yamase visited Otago for a series of events celebrating Pacific knowledge, Indigenous-led science, and climate advocacy, she left a trail of inspired tauira in her wake 🫶

🙌 Maia Renata Horn, a Māori Master’s student in Marine Science, found Nicole’s visit deeply affirming.

“She is an inspiration, and I am fortunate to have people like her who paved the way and showed me, that despite challenges, there is space for Indigenous people and our ideas in marine science that are intertwined with our identity,” Maia says 💕

Read more about Nicole’s inspiring visit to Otago ⬇️

https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/micronesian-trailblazer-inspires-pacific-students-at-otago

Marine Science Otago

It isn’t every day you get the chance to hear from someone who’s been to the bottom of the ocean.