Meet our students

Growing up in rural New Zealand I always had a close relationship with the great outdoors. This is why I chose to pursue the subjects of geography and geology. Studying in the School of Environment has enabled me to learn about the human and physical environment and their interactions while also gaining knowledge and communication skills that can be applied in the work place. Earth's environment and our understanding of it is ever changing and the School uses the latest technologies to guide students into the future.

The School of Environment offers the best theoretical lectures from experts in their field along with excellent fieldtrips, which give hands on experience. The teaching methods involve fun and exciting ways to learn new skills and practices. I began working for a geotechnical engineering consultancy as a field technician during my studies and found the knowledge gained from The University of Auckland invaluable.

Leaving school, I wanted a degree and loved the outdoors. A BSc in Geography and Environmental Science was the obvious choice and once enrolled, there was no looking back. In my undergraduate studies I discovered a niche interest in river processes and management solutions, which I pursued at postgraduate level. My honours dissertation studied the interactions between fluvial geomorphology and riparian (river) vegetation along Piha Stream. My masters thesis looked at the role of geomorphology within seed dispersal.

A great aspect of studying geography is the numerous field trips that you get to partake in right from the start. As an undergraduate, I travelled to many beautiful parts of New Zealand, including: Kawhia, the Bay of Plenty, and a trip around the Far North. Highlights of my postgraduate studies were 10 days in the South Island appreciating river diversity and a week spent on Great Barrier Island looking at wetland and forest ecology. You really get to experience first-hand what makes New Zealand such a dynamic and interesting country to be living in and studying.

After my honours degree, I received a summer internship with Waitakere City Council. This was a great way to put what I had learnt at university into practice. I also applied for a research grant, which allowed me to travel to South Korea to present research at the International Symposium on Ecohydraulics. This was a real privilege and an amazing opportunity. The School of Environment has equipped me with numerous technical, written and verbal, skills. I look forward to applying these skills to an environmental career in the near future.

When I started my studies in the School of Environment as an undergraduate, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to get out of it. I knew that I loved the outdoors and the idea of learning about the environment, but I wasn’t quite sure where a degree in geography would take me. Three years of undergraduate study in physical geography provided me with a wide range of knowledge in areas such as coastal, fluvial and biogeography. I discovered an interest in the processes that take place on our coastlines and the management strategies put in place on these coastlines to protect human infrastructure. This interest led me to undertake MSc studies. The topic for my Masters focused on a section of rocky coastline between Pakiri Beach and Goat Island Bay, north of Auckland to determine the response of sea cliffs to wave impacts through the use of seismometers and wave pressure sensors.

My years of study within the School of Environment provided me with a broad set of skills from practical work in the field to analytical skills on the computer. My favourite part about the School of Environment was the numerous field classes that are available. Not only do these trips provide an opportunity to advance practical skills but they also offer an opportunity to interact with peers and staff members.