This year's Distinguished Alumni
Raelene Castle, ONZM
BCom 1993 (Business)
Raelene Castle (Ngāpuhi), ONZM is an accomplished sports executive and the current Group Chief Executive of Sport New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand. She has a rich sporting background, which includes representing the Auckland region as a netball, tennis and lawn bowls player.
After graduating from the University of Auckland in 1993 with a Bachelor of Commerce in International Business Management Science and Info Systems, she built a successful corporate career in senior roles for major businesses such as Spark (formerly Telecom) and Bank of New Zealand.
In 2007 she shifted to the sports industry, taking on the role of CEO for Netball New Zealand, where she remained for seven years. Following this, she broke barriers as the first female CEO of an NRL team – the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – and, later, of Rugby Australia. Her tenure in Australia was marked by key moments including a significant rise in women’s membership of the Bulldogs, and the values-driven decision to terminate Wallabies player Israel Falau’s contract with Rugby Australia after he made homophobic comments on social media.
Throughout her career Raelene has been acknowledged with numerous accolades, including a Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award in 2011 and the Māori Sports Awards Administrator of the Year Award in 2013. She was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for services to Sport and Business.
John Dudley
BSc 1987, PhD 1992 (Science)
John Dudley is an internationally renowned physicist with a career spanning more than 35 years. He graduated from the University of Auckland in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science and in 1992 with a PhD in physics. He completed postdoctoral research at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, before returning to New Zealand to lecture at his alma mater. In 2000 he was appointed Professor of Physics at Marie and Louis Pasteur University in Besançon, France, where he remains today.
During his career John has made significant scientific contributions to the fields of ultrafast optics, supercontinuum generation and nonlinear physics, including research exploring the origins of rogue waves. He has published over 270 journal articles and delivered more than 180 invited talks at conferences and events around the world.
Passionate about bringing science closer to society, he has participated in numerous global panels and forums and delivered talks on science communication, including a briefing at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. He has led novel initiatives such as the UNESCO International Year of Light & Light-based Technologies 2015, which sparked the establishment of the International Day of Light in the permanent calendar of international observances.
John has received numerous distinctions for his research and public science engagement work, including the 2013 French National Centre for Scientific Research Silver Medal, the 2016 Institute of Physics President's Medal and the 2020 Optical Society of America R. W. Wood Prize. He is Fellow of a number of international learned societies including the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Aparangi, where he was elected an Honorary Fellow in 2020.
Justice Ellen France, DNZM
LLB(Hons) 1982 (Law)
Justice Ellen France, DNZM, is a Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. A 2002 appointment to the High Court of New Zealand marked the beginning of her judicial career, followed by appointment as a judge to the Court of Appeal four years later. She made history in 2014 when she was appointed the first female President of the Court of Appeal and again in 2015 when she presided over the first all-female sitting of the Court. In 2016 she was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court, where she remains today.
While completing her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the University of Auckland, Ellen met fellow Law student Simon France. The pair married in 1981, the same year Ellen began her first legal role as a law clerk. In 1982 they moved to Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada where they both pursued their Master of Laws.
After their return to New Zealand, Ellen worked as a legal advisor in the Law Reform Division of the Department of Justice from 1984 to 1992. She then joined the Crown Law Office. She began as Crown Counsel, then Team leader in the Treaty Issues Team and later became Deputy Solicitor-General, before her appointment to the High Court.
A proponent of inclusivity, Ellen has been involved in presenting seminars for judges on topics including the law relating to evidence and diversity, and presented the 2011 Ethel Benjamin lecture with a focus on discretion and diversity. In 2016 she was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the judiciary.
Reuben Paterson
BFA 1997, GradDipTchg (Primary) 2000 (Arts and Education)
Reuben Paterson (Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāi Tūhoe, Tūhourangi, Scottish) is a celebrated artist whose work encompasses paintings, sculptures, animations and installations. He is known for his signature use of glitter, which recalls childhood memories of the sparkling waters and black sands of Auckland’s West Coast.
In 1997 Reuben graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and was subsequently awarded the prestigious Möet et Chandon Arts Fellowship to France. He later completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary) at the Auckland College of Education and worked as a teacher at Westmere Primary School before committing to art full-time.
Since 2000, his work has exhibited nationally and internationally at venues such as Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Christie’s, New York; Cambridge University of Anthropology and Archaeology, England; The National Gallery of Victoria, Australia; the Institute of Contemporary Art Winnipeg, Canada; and Tijibaou Arts and Cultural Centre, Noumea, New Caledonia. It has also been featured in prominent group exhibitions, including the largest survey of contemporary Māori art, Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2020.
Currently based in New York, Reuben has completed numerous international residencies and significant international art fairs, and fostered long-term collaborations with brands including WORLD and New Zealand-made designer rug company Dilana Rugs as part of his effort to connect art with industry, fashion and politics. In 2025 he was named an Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate.
Young Alumnus of the Year
Moses Mackay BMus 2011 (Arts and Education)
Moses Mackay is a Samoan New Zealand composer, recording artist and classically trained baritone whose work bridges opera, soul and cinematic contemporary music. A founding member of the multi-platinum trio SOL3 MIO, he has performed to sold-out audiences worldwide and contributed to one of New Zealand’s most commercially successful musical acts, with their self-titled debut album certified eight-times platinum.
Moses began performing and writing music at a young age before completing a Bachelor of Music at the University of Auckland. He later undertook postgraduate study at the Wales International Academy of Voice. His operatic repertoire includes Handel’s Messiah, Brahm's Requiem and principal roles in operas such as L’elisir d’amore, Turandot, Carmen and Le Comte Ory. His work has seen him perform across New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe.
Alongside his operatic career, Moses has cultivated a distinct voice as an independent artist. His debut solo album Grace (2023) revealed a more intimate and personal musical direction, blending classical vocal technique with soul influences and reflective songwriting. Now based in Italy, he continues to expand his creative output across composition, writing and performance, exploring themes of identity, heritage, faith and belonging.
Moses is a recipient of the Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist Award and the Dame Malvina Major Opera Excellence Award for outstanding contribution to opera.