Rate My Professor Amanda Taia

Amanda Taia is the Senior Analyst Research and Policy in the Pacific Development Office at the University of Otago. Her work supports the Pacific at Otago initiative, which is dedicated to helping Pacific students with their university studies and tertiary education journey. The office operates under the leadership of Professor Dianne Sika-Paotonu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Pacific, and includes a team of staff focused on strategic development and support for Pacific communities within the university environment.

Taia serves on the Quality Advancement Committee, a Senate committee that acts as a forum for academic quality assurance and enhancement. She is the nominee of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Māori), with her term expiring on 31 December 2025. The committee engages stakeholders, reflects on quality frameworks, and oversees preparations for external audits. Additionally, Taia has played a pivotal role in community-engaged projects, particularly the repatriation of ancestral remains held in the University of Otago's Department of Anatomy back to Mangaia in the Cook Islands. In 2022, she attended an event where the remains were blessed by the local Mangaian community, noting that many individuals approached her afterward to learn more about their ancestors. In February 2024, Taia was part of the delegation that included Anatomy Professor Hallie Buckley and Cook Islands medical student Cam Young, successfully returning the remains to their resting place. During the visit, she conversed with locals who recalled the original early 20th-century excavation, enriching the historical context with oral accounts beyond the accompanying documentation. Taia stressed the vital support from community leader Mama Keni, remarking, “We couldn’t have done what we did without Mama Keni and the community’s support,” and affirmed the university's dedication to sustaining these relationships long-term. This work highlights her contributions to culturally sensitive collaborations between the university and Pacific communities.