Queen's Birthday honours for staff and alumni

Massey staff, graduates and five leading New Zealanders conferred with honorary doctorates were recognised in the Queen's Birthday honours.

Three staff members received awards. Shane Cotton, a lecturer at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, the School of Māori Studies in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Manawatü, was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to visual arts. Mr Cotton is an acclaimed painter whose work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the world.

Professor Glyn Harper received a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for his services to historical research. A professor of war studies in the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at Manawatü, he is leading the Centenary History of New Zealand and First World War project, working with the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association and the Defence Force. Ten volumes will be published exploring different aspects of the war, with the first ready for Anzac Day 2015.

Margaret Medlyn, ONZM for services to opera, is a senior lecturer and head of voice in the classical performance programme at the New Zealand School of Music, part of the College of Creative Arts in Wellington. Ms Medlyn has vast experience singing with major opera companies and orchestras in Australasia.

Five of the honours recipients have Massey honorary doctorates: Dame Margaret Bazley of Wellington, Sir Peter Jackson of Wellington, and Dame Malvina Major of Hamilton, who were all made additional members of the Order of New Zealand for their services to New Zealand, the country’s highest honour; Dr Michael Houstoun of Feilding, who was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his services as a pianist; and Dr Peter McLeavey of Wellington, an ONZM for services to the arts.

Massey alumni named in the honours list were: Professor Christine Winterbourn of Christchurch, CNZM for services to science; Dale Copeland of Okato, Members of Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to the arts; Traci Houpapa of Hamilton, MNZM for services to business and Mäori; Carol Quirk of Opotiki, QSM for services to surf life saving; Vicki Wall of Lower Hutt, QSM for services to people with disabilities; and Lieutenant Layamon Bakewell of Auckland, Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD) for services to the Defence Force.