Wintec to Confer Honorary Awards

January 22 2009

Wintec to Confer Honorary Awards

AgResearch Chief Executive Dr. Andy West is to receive an Honorary Fellowship, Wintec's highest award. The Fellowship is to recognise Dr. West and his outstanding and distinguished leadership in and services to science and specifically to agritechnology.

Dr West was appointed Chief Executive of AgResearch in March. Formerly Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates $2.2 billion of government funding each year for tertiary education Dr. West joined AgResearch with an impressive record as a researcher and within science management, policy development and strategic planning.

In the early 1990s, he played a major role in the Government's science reforms, including the design and establishment of MoRST and FRST, CRIs and the Crown Company Monitoring Advisory Unit (CCMAU). He was also Science Advisor to the Minister of Research, Science and Technology working closely with cabinet ministers Margaret Austin and Simon Upton during the reforms.

When with Ernst & Young in 1995, Dr West developed a sector-wide strategy for the New Zealand meat industry then in 1996, he became company strategist for AgResearch where he helped establish the Foundation for Sheep Research In the late 1990s, he was CEO of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences. From 2001 to 2002, he was CEO of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

He gained a PhD in Microbial Ecology, Polytechnic of Central London and is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management and a Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

Dr West has been a Director of Seabed Mapping International since 2001 and the Cawthron Research Institute since 2000. Between 1982 and 1988 he worked for DSIR, researching the soil carbon cycle and soil erosion.

A Wintec Medal for distinguished service to the organisation will also be conferred, on long serving staff member Kevin Sweeney. Kevin designed, built, and managed over many years, the institute's mobile technology outreach artechmobile unit, which has delivered a range of educational services to thousands of rural students. An engineer, innovator and teacher in electrical engineering his contribution to the institute and its communities since 1973 has been outstanding.

The awards will be presented at Wintec graduation ceremonies in March.

For further information please contact : Anna.carter@wintec.ac.nz Ph : 07 858 0217

Previous recipients of Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) honorary awards are : Honorary Fellows of the Waikato Institute of Technology

Edmund Hillary, Sir

2002

William Gallagher

2002

Jocelyn Fish

2003

Bill Foreman

2003

Mike Chunn

2004

Brian Perry

2004

Oswald (Ossie) James O.B.E., D.C.N.Z.M.

2005

Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu ONZ DBE

2006

John Gallagher CNZM, O St J, JP

2007

Laurie Pilling MBE

2007

Jerry Rickman

2008

Honorary Degrees of the Waikato Institute of Technology

Edmund Hillary, Sir,

MSc (Sport and Exercise Science) 2002

Patrick Hogan, Sir,

MSc (Sport and Exercise Science) 2002

Colin Meads

MSc (Sport and Exercise Science) 2003

Maxine Hodgson

Bachelor of Applied Social Science 2005

Annah Stretton

M Arts 2006

Ruth Aitken

MSc (Sport and Exercise Science) 2006

Keith (Midge) Marsden Dip SST, MNZM

M Arts (Music) 2007

Waikato Institute of Technology Medal

Hare Puke Kaumätua

2003

Peter Johnson Principal of Waikato Technical Institute and Waikato Polytechnic 1982 - 1995

2005

David Peart JP Environment Waikato Councillor, former Wintec Council Chairman, Hamilton City Councillor and Waikato District Councillor

2007

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