Professor Christine Stephens has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo / Grace Odlum
Professor Christine Stephens has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo / Grace Odlum
Professor Christine Stephens was surprised when she found out she would be made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours.
She said she felt her career had been rewarding in itself and never expected to be honoured this way.
Stephens, from Waikanae, has been working as the co-lead, alongside Professor Fiona Alpass, of the Health and Ageing Research Team (an interdisciplinary research group running the NZ Longitudinal Study of Ageing) at Massey University since 2006.
It was her work towards helping older people, and her psychology knowledge, that got her nominated for the honour.
“Bringing health psychology knowledge into the Health and Ageing Research Team has been a highlight for the last 20 years.”
Stephens’ work has helped highlight the importance of social and physical environments to health and has also provided opportunities for older adults to voice their perspectives on ageing well.
She has played a significant role in the development of Massey University’s flagship health psychology programme and contributes to the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, the New Zealand Association of Gerontology, and is a Fellow of the Gerontological Association of America.
Massey University where Professor Christine Stephens works.
“Working with colleagues in gerontology who care passionately about the wellbeing of older people, and working with our amazing and generous research participants, has been very educational for me.”
Stephens serves on the board of Age Concern Kāpiti and helped support Kāpiti Coast District Council develop its Age Friendly Strategy last year.
She said she was pleased to see the work she had been involved in contributing to the council’s age-friendly approach.
“We have a dedicated group of volunteers working to support older people on the Kāpiti Coast.”
Stephens has been involved in 20 completed externally-funded research projects and continues to be involved in various projects now she is semi-retired.
She said some of the main highlights of her career had been “working with inspiring international and national colleagues in health psychology and watching my students grow into successful psychologists or health researchers”.
Stephens was also a founding member and treasurer of the International Society of Critical Health Psychology from 2009 to 2020, and the chairwoman from 2011 to 2013.
