Rate My Professor Bale Kito

Bale Kito serves as Pacific Island Student Support in the Division of Sciences at the University of Otago. He is a PhD candidate affiliated with the Departments of Psychology and Human Nutrition. Originally from the villages of Tubou Lakeba, Lau and Sawana, Vanuabalavu Lau in Fiji, Kito moved to Aotearoa New Zealand at the age of three. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Pacific Studies from the University of Otago and recently completed an honours degree in the Department of Psychology. Kito received the Dr Barry Poata Ethics Summer Studentship for his project on Fijian males' experiences in Aotearoa's healthcare system, hosted by the University of Otago.

In 2025, Bale Kito was awarded the Richard Kammann Wellbeing Prize for his honours research titled “Vanua ni gunu Yaqona”: Exploring Kava Circles as an Identity Marker for Pacific Males in Higher Education in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Nominated by his late supervisor Associate Professor Damian Scarf, the study examines how Pacific male students, particularly Fijian men, use traditional kava practices to manage their academic journeys, support mental health and wellbeing while away from home, and consider the strengths and harms of digital wellbeing. Kito has co-authored peer-reviewed publications including "Digital Taboo: A Qualitative Study on Pacific Male Experiences of and Attitudes to Pornography in Aotearoa New Zealand" published in Kōtuitui in 2026 with Simon Erickson, Rebekah Kennedy, Gareth Treharne, Simone Rodda, and Edmond Fehoko, and "A qualitative study on Pacific male perspectives on addressing porn use and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand" also in 2026. He presented at the International Indigenous Research Conference. Active in the Otago Fiji Islands Students Association, Kito promotes Fijian cultural practices such as the significance of the tabua, the sperm whale's tooth. His contributions highlight empathy, integrity, and putting people first in supporting Pacific students.