Suzanne Pitama

Suzanne Georgina Pitama is a New Zealand academic, is Māori, of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Whare descent and as of 2020 is a full professor at the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand.[1]

Suzanne G. Pitama
Alma materUniversity of Otago, Christchurch
AwardsAKO Aotearoa Prime Minister's Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence
Dame Joan Metge Medal for research in social sciences
Scientific career
FieldsMāori indigenous health
InstitutionsUniversity of Otago, Christchurch
Thesis
Doctoral advisorTim Wilkinson
Catherine Savage
Pauline Barnett

Early life

Pitama was educated at Wairoa College, and qualified in psychology at University of Auckland. She then undertook postgraduate and doctoral studies at Massey University and the University of Otago.[2]

Academic career

Pitama was already a registered clinical psychologist before she completed the first-ever PhD 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,[3] at the University of Otago in 2013. Pitama was promoted to full professor from February 2020.[1][4] In December 2021, she was appointed Dean and Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Christchurch, effective February 2022.[5]

Pitama's research focuses on indigenous experiences in the health system, and how medical education can improve health disparities.[1][6]

Awards

In 2015, Pitama received the AKO Aotearoa Prime Minister's Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence.[7] In 2017 Pitama featured as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's 150 women in 150 words.[6] Pitama was also awarded the 2018 Metge Medal for 'excellence and building relationships in the social science research community'.[8]

Pitama is the Director of the Māori/Indigenous Health Institute (MIHI) at the University of Otago.[9]

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 University of Otago, Christchurch.[10]

Selected works

References
  1. "30 New professors for the University of Otago". University of Otago. 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  2. Perich, Bronson (12 January 2022). "Otago University wahine Māori medical school dean commits to mana whenua co-governance". Te Karere. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. Pitama, Suzanne (2013). "As natural as learning pathology" The design, implementation and impact of indigenous health curriucula within medical schools (Doctoral thesis). OUR Archive, University of Otago. hdl:10523/3980. S2CID 68221807.
  4. Day, Simon (1 April 2020). "Why more Māori professors are essential for Aotearoa's universities". The Spinoff. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  5. Kenny, Lee (2 December 2021). "First female Māori dean appointed at University of Otago medical school". Stuff. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. "Suzanne Pitama". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  7. "Associate Professor Suzanne Pitama". ako.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  8. "2018 Metge Medal: Connecting Te Ao Māori with clinical practice". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  9. Division of Health Sciences. "Profile | Division of Health Sciences". www.otago.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  10. Lewis, John (2 December 2021). "'A strong role model': Pitama new dean of Chch med school". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
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