PM's award for work with Maori and Pacific students

Michael Walker. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Michael Walker has never thought of himself as a "great teacher" - so he was stunned when he picked up the top award at this year's national tertiary teaching awards.

The University of Auckland professor has won a $10,000 Prime Minister's Supreme Award at the 2011 National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards. He also won a $20,000 sustained excellence in teaching in a kaupapa Maori context award.

"It was a hell of a shock, a tremendous surprise. I never really thought of myself as a great teacher, I just wanted to do the job well."

Professor Walker, a leading biological scientist of Te Whakatohea descent, established the Tuakana Programme more than 20 years ago to improve retention rates for Maori and Pacific science students, particularly in their first academic year.

He said he was moved to do something after noticing around two-thirds of Maori students were dropping out in the first six weeks.

The innovative programme, which paired new students up with other Maori students, helped change that and a steady stream of Maori and Pacific students now leaves the university with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

The programme has become so successful it has now been rolled out across all university faculties.

Professor Walker, from the School of Biological Sciences, was described by the judges as a "rare educator, whose impact goes beyond the university campus, benefiting whanau and the community at large".

University of Auckland staff scooped four of the 12 excellence awards.