Rate My Professor Brad Watson

Brad Watson, known fully as Tautaiolefue Bradley Watson, is the Tautiaki-Piki and Deputy Warden at Selwyn College, a residential college of the University of Otago. He joined the senior staff team in January 2024 and works alongside the Warden and Assistant Warden to nurture and support students in a safe and inclusive environment. Watson has a longstanding involvement with Selwyn College as a former resident for two years and through various roles in the College’s Welfare Team. His professional career includes extensive work at the University of Otago in student support and academic roles. Previously, he served as Programme Manager (Pacific) for the Pacific Islands Research and Student Support Unit (PIRSSU) in the Division of Health Sciences, managing initiatives to support Pacific students and research. He also acted as Programme Manager for Pacific Islands at Va’a o Tautai, the Centre for Pacific Health. Watson contributed to Pacific health efforts, including workshops on health inequalities and developing a Pacific health workforce alongside Jesse Kokaua. His international development experience was gained while living in Samoa, reflecting his Samoan, New Zealand European, and Chinese heritage. Academically, Watson holds a Master of Arts in Pacific Literature and Literary Theory, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Otago, along with Professional Legal Studies from the College of Law Australia.

Watson has held leadership positions such as Treasurer of the Pacific Islands Law Students’ Association (PILSA) at the University of Otago and served as a lay member of the Psychologists Board of New Zealand, appointed in November 2019. His creative contributions include winning the staff poetry category in the University of Otago Writer 2024 competition with his poem “Sounds,” a love letter to Samoa. Through these roles, Watson has influenced Pacific student success, health support programs, legal education, and cultural expression in the academic field.