New director of Massey Foundation and Alumni Relations

Assistant Vice-Chancellor (External Relations) Cas Carter has announced the appointment of Mitch Murdoch as Director of Alumni Relations and the Massey University Foundation.

Ms Murdoch has been acting director of the foundation, the University's fundraising arm, since last year, but will now oversee both the foundation and Alumni Relations.

Ms Carter said it made sense to bring the two distinct but related areas of external relations together.

"We want to maintain and enhance the bonds that develop with our students and staff to ensure they remain connected to Massey. The whole Massey community can benefit from their knowledge and input, whether it be taking part in events on the campuses or around New Zealand, or supporting scholarships, internships and mentoring schemes for current and future students."

Ms Murdoch, originally from Palmerston North, worked in communications and marketing in Britain before returning to New Zealand. "Our goal is to increase the connections between Massey and its alumni through the development of a lifelong relationship which will begin at Orientation and continue throughout the lives of our alumni. While our immediate focus will be in New Zealand, we will begin to develop a strategy to better connect with some of our many alumni that live overseas."

Alumni Relations has a new manager, Jasmine Groves, who replaces Robyn Matthews, who has moved into a new role with Manu Ao, the Massey-led project to advance Maori academic leadership in New Zealand universities.