Suzanne Georgina Pitama is a New Zealand academic, is

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

, of

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...

and Ngāti Whare descent and as of 2020 is a full

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Early life

Pitama was educated at

Wairoa College Wairoa College is a co-educational secondary school located in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. It was expanded to include students from years 7 and 8 in 2005. A building project to accommodate the increased roll was complete by 2008. Wairoa Coll ...

, and qualified in psychology at

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

. She then undertook

postgraduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

and

doctoral studies A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

and the University of Otago.

Academic career

Pitama was already a registered clinical psychologist before she completed the first-ever

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

undertaken in indigenous medical education, submitting her thesis, ''"As natural as learning pathology": the design, implementation and impact of indigenous health curricula within medical schools'', at the

in 2013. Pitama was promoted to full professor from February 2020. In December 2021, she was appointed Dean and Head of Campus at the

University of Otago, Christchurch The University of Otago, Christchurch is one of seven component schools that make up the University of Otago Division of Health Sciences. The University of Otago, Christchurch is based primarily at Christchurch Hospital, in Christchurch Central ...

, effective February 2022. Pitama's research focuses on indigenous experiences in the health system, and how medical education can improve health disparities.

Awards

In 2015, Pitama received the AKO Aotearoa Prime Minister's Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence. In 2017 Pitama featured as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's

150 women in 150 words Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

. Pitama was also awarded the 2018 Metge Medal for 'excellence and building relationships in the social science research community'. Pitama is the Director of the Māori/Indigenous Health Institute (MIHI) at the University of Otago. In February 2022, she became university's first Māori female Dean of a medical school campus, when she became the Dean and Head of Campus at the

Selected works

* * * * * *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pitama, Suzanne Living people New Zealand women academics Year of birth missing (living people) University of Otago alumni Academic staff of the University of Otago New Zealand Māori women academics Ngāti Kahungunu people Ngāti Whare University of Auckland alumni Massey University alumni People educated at Wairoa College