Our people
The PPI brings together researchers, practitioners and postgraduate students from across the University of Auckland and the wider community.
Director

Professor Jennifer Curtin is the Director of the PPI
Jennifer is a Professor of Politics and Director of the Public Policy Institute at the University of Auckland. Her research and publications focus on Australian and New Zealand politics and policy, gender, policy analysis and political leadership, and the politics of sport. She teaches comparative public policy, lesson drawing and the gender analysis in the Master of Public Policy and she is the PhD Adviser for Public Policy. Her research involves engagement with a range of government agencies, policy consultancies and non-profit organisations, and her publications appear in scholarly outlets, peer reviewed reports, and policy briefings. She regularly shares her findings with community organisations and the media, both in New Zealand and internationally.
Jennifer is currently leading externally funded projects on the following topics: Gender Responsive Budgeting in New Zealand; the Gendered Effects of COVID19 globally and locally; Gender and Political Leadership at the Subnational Level in Australia and Canada; as well as being a Principal Investigator on the New Zealand Election Study. You can find more of her policy-relevant research on the PPI-sponsored website Auckland Policy Commons, and the Gender Responsive Analysis and Budgeting website.

Research team
Dr Suzanne Woodward
Associate Director Research Impact
Knowledge Translation Specialist
s.woodward@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Timothy Fadgen
Associate Director Postgraduate Programmes
timothy.fadgen@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Sarah Bickerton
Lecturer in Public Policy
sarah.bickerton@auckland.ac.nz
Victoria Woodman
Research Analyst
victoria.woodman@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Komathi Kolandai-Matchett
Research Fellow
komathi.kolandai-matchett@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Mohammad Salimifar
Lecturer in Public Policy
m.salimifar@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Oluwakemi Igiebor
Lecturer in Public Policy; Research Fellow
o.igiebor@auckland.ac.nz
Udari Herath
Research Assistant
uher386@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Karlee Waru
Research Assistant

Research associates
Dr Tom Baker
The politics of policy
t.baker@auckland.ac.nz
Jess Berentson-Shaw
Population wellbeing, evidence and policy
jess@theworkshop.org.nz
Lincoln Dam
Multiculturalism and Biculturalism
lincoln.dam@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Kiri Edge
Education, Health, Indigenous Development, Kaupapa Māori Research, Psychology / Mental Health
kiriedge@gmail.com
Dr Adrian Field
Public health, transport and urban environments
adrian@dovetailnz.com
Eilala Fihaki
Climate change, adaptation, environmental governance
efihaki@gmail.com
Dr Celestyna Galicki
Comparative Policy Analysis, Youth Representation, Financial Literacy
cgal034@aucklanduni.ac.nz
AP Luke Goode
Critical Future studies, communication and policy
l.goode@auckland.ac.nz
AP Alasdair Jones
Sustainability, mobility and urban life
A.Jones13@exeter.ac.uk
Dr Steffen Lippert
Climate cooperation, innovation and collective decision-making
s.lippert@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Julie MacArthur
Renewable energy policy
Julie.1macarthur@royalroads.ca
Dr Suzy Morrissey
Tax, transfers, and gender analysis
s.morrissey@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Sereana Naepi
Equity. higher education, Pacific research methodologies
s.naepi@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Michael O'Sullivan
Equity. data modelling, health
michael.osullivan@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Luke Oldfield
Social development
Luke.Oldfield001@msd.govt.nz
Dr Ritu Parna Roy
Postcolonial theory, migration, intersectionality, higher education, and social research
ritu.roy@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Antonio Romero
Public policy, public service reform and climate change in Central America
arom008@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Honorary Associate Professor Susan St John
Child Poverty Action Group, Retirement Policy and Research Centre
s.stjohn@auckland.ac.nz
Professor Alan Tidwell
Peacemaking and conflict-resolution
act35@georgetown.edu
Josh van Veen
Electoral politics and policy, voter behaviour and social policy attitudes
jvan158@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Kiri West
Communication, storytelling and policy
k.west-mcgruer@auckland.ac.nz
Holly Willson
holly.willson@griffithuni.edu.au
Academic Advisory Board
Dr Elizabeth Aitken-Rose
Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries
e.aitken-rose@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Subeh Chowdhury
Faculty of Engineering
s.chowdhury@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Gerard Cotterell
Faculty of Arts
g.cotterell@auckland.ac.nz
Catherine Dunphy
Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor Māori
c.dunphy@auckland.ac.nz
Professor Prasanna Gai
Faculty of Business and Economics
p.gai@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Anna Hood
Faculty of Law
a.hood@auckland.ac.nz
Professor Susan Kemp
Faculty of Education and Social Work
s.kemp@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Barry Milne
COMPASS
b.milne@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Sereana Naepi
Arts
s.naepi@auckland.ac.nz
Jefferey Nikoia
UniServices
j.nikoia@auckland.ac.nz
Associate Professor Tim Tenbensel
Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
t.tenbensel@auckland.ac.nz
Professor Michael Witbrock
Faculty of Science
m.witbrock@auckland.ac.nz
