Bumper doctoral crop at Albany graduation

A bumper crop of 32 doctoral candidates will cross the stage next week during Massey University’s Albany campus’ six graduation ceremonies, where more than 1000 students will be capped.

It is the highest number of doctorates bestowed at the University’s Albany graduation in recent years, with 24 last year, 22 in 2010, and 20 each in 2008 and 2009. 

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says the rising number of postgraduates at the Albany campus reflects the high calibre of scholars – local and international – the University is attracting.

“It’s very pleasing to see so many students achieving the academic pinnacle of a doctoral degree. The research done by this group spans much of the broad range of expertise Massey offers – health, science and technology, social work, psychology and education – and I am sure they will all make outstanding contributions in their fields and in their communities."

Graduation – the apex of the academic year – kicks off on Tuesday April 17 with two processions over three days down Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, to the Bruce Mason Centre where graduands will be capped and presented with academic scrolls.

This year’s doctoral thesis subjects across sciences, humanities, business and education cover a plethora of topical issues, including four of eight Doctors of Clinical Psychology who researched aspects of depression and how to treat it.

The experiences of Korean mothers and daughters in Auckland and how they adjust to life in their new home is the focus of Hyunok Jeon’s psychology thesis, which she hopes will bring new understandings about the process of cultural identity and resilience for new Korean migrants. Also from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ 16 doctorates are theses on teenage boys and how they negotiate their social world; being fat in a society obsessed with the thin ideal; and the structure of Samoan family life in New Zealand and its impact on Samoan youth wellbeing.

Among the College of Sciences’ 12 doctorates are Mäori candidate and former North Shore resident Chris Rodley, who has returned briefly from Switzerland, where he now works as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Geneva. He researched the mechanisms of gene interaction and expression with its implications for disease development and treatment for his PhD.

Two College of Business lecturers will also receive their doctorates. Warwick Stent, who has taught the School of Accountancy’s auditing papers since 2005, researched the differences between early and late adopters of International Financial Reporting Standards in New Zealand. He describes this as “one of the most significant changes in accounting history”.

Political, business, and investor sentiment investment cycles is the subject Jeff Stangl’s thesis. He found that such investment cycles are “fundamentally a fool’s game”. Mr Stangl is a lecturer in finance at Massey University, and has bittersweet feelings about graduating without his wife Loren, who is currently finalising her own PhD thesis, and will graduate later in the year.

Despite the glory of being capped as a doctoral graduate, one recipient may well wish he could be on the other side of the world. Matthew Harris will cross the stage to receive his doctorate in English in the same week that his short film, titled 43,000 Feet, debuts at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

And Master’s in Mäori Studies graduate Elaine Cooper, at age 80, is proof that learning is a lifelong journey. She did her degree through the University’s distance learning programme, writing her thesis on Sir Julius von Haast, the 19th century Prussian-born geologist and scientist who named Haast Pass after himself. She plans to publish her thesis as a book, and is considering doing a PhD next. She will take part in the College of Humanities and Social Studies procession on Thursday afternoon.

Pasifika and Måori graduates will also be honoured with ceremonies to acknowledge the special place the students have at the University, on Wednesday evening and Friday morning, respectively. This year one Pasifika and three Mäori students gained doctoral degrees.

Massey is the only university to stream its graduation ceremonies live on the internet. Friends and family can watch the ceremonies live from anywhere in the world. Following the ceremony, the videos are made available on Massey’s YouTube channel, where graduates can create a custom link to the exact moment they cross the stage, and share it with others. Check out our Graduation Live website and share this link with anyone who wants to watch live.  http://www.massey.ac.nz/?gad941633y?37D28666-9789-4283-AD94-332B129F6B1F