EIT will be upholding an academic tradition in staging a series of lectures delivered by the six associate professors appointed by the institute late last year.

EIT research director Professor Bob Marshall says it is standard practice at universities world-wide for staff newly appointed to professorial rank to deliver addresses related to their specialist areas of study.

In the coming months, EIT’s associate professors will each deliver a one-hour lecture outlining their research.  The venue will be the Taradale campus, and several are expected to be delivered by video link with EIT’s Tairāwhiti campus in Gisborne.

“We are proud to showcase EIT’s research talent in these public lectures,” Professor Marshall says.  “We hope people will take the opportunity to learn about some of the exciting projects undertaken by our staff.”

Launching the series, Dr Carl Paton, from EIT’s School of Recreation and Sport, is to talk about Assessment and Training of Endurance Athletes at 6pm on Wednesday, 15 August.

Collaborating with Lincoln University colleagues on genetics research, Dr Rachel Forrest will deliver her lecture on Gene-marker assisted sheep breeding at 4.30pm on Wednesday, 5 September.

At 4.30pm on 12 September, Steve Gibbs will explain the strong conceptual and theoretical basis underpinning painting practice at Tairāwhiti’s Maori Visual Arts and Design school in a lecture entitled Toihoukura – Comparative Creative Genius.

Dr Peter Bray, whose major research area is the theory and practice of grief counselling, will deliver his lecture Exploring the Relationships between Experiences of Loss, Spirituality and Post-Traumatic Growth at 4.30pm on Wednesday, 10 October.

An expert on information technology in education, Dr Michael Verhaart will deliver his lecture on Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age at 4.30pm on 14 November.

While a date has yet to be determined for the lecture by New Zealand’s leading Tā Moko expert, Tairāwhiti-based Derek Lardelli, it is expected to be late in the year.