Gradon Diprose, Robyn Kannemeyer, Peter Edwards & Alison Greenaway
Gradon Diprose, Robyn Kannemeyer, Peter Edwards and Alison Greenaway
A paper entitled Participatory biosecurity practices: Myrtle rust an unwanted pathogen in Aotearoa New Zealand published in 2022 in the New Zealand Geographer by Dr Gradon Diprose, Robyn Kannemeyer, Dr Peter Edwards and Dr Alison Greenaway, was in the top 10% of downloaded papers in its first 12 months of publication. The paper (https://doi.org/10.1111/ nzg.12347) used social practice theory to investigate the social aspects of risk mitigation in the management of biosecurity invasions, specifically how ‘shared responsibility’ has emerged in the shift from a government-led incursion response to myrtle rust, to passive disease reporting using iNaturalist.
Shaun Pennycook
Shaun Pennycook
In August 2024, Dr Shaun Pennycook was honoured at the 12th International Mycology Congress in Maastricht, the Netherlands, by being made a Fellow of the International Mycological Association (IMA) in recognition of his outstanding contribution of nomenclature to MycoBank. This is the IMA’s online database, which serves a twofold purpose: (1) to catalogue all existing fungal names published since the “nomenclatural starting date” of 1 May 1753; and (2) to check newly proposed fungal names for compliance with the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) so that each can be issued with an identifier number that must be cited to validate the protologue of a new fungal name. Shaun’s contribution over many years of his “retirement” has been with this second function, checking the incoming e-mails (up to 200 on a hectic day!) in conjunction with the MycoBank Curator, Dr Konstanze Bensch.
Peter Edwards
Peter Edwards (second right) and collaborators.
Senior researcher Dr Peter Edwards is a lead author for a chapter on Regional Similarities and Differences in UNEP’s flagship report, the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-7). GEO provides an integrated assessment of the state of the global environment. The chapter Peter is involved in assesses the likely regional and sub-regional implications for different solutions pathways. GEO-7 will be launched in early 2026.
Nikki Harcourt
Tadashi Fukami and Nikki Harcourt
Overseas, many research institutions are now exploring how they can collaborate meaningfully with their First Nations people and are looking to experienced Māori researchers for advice and strategic support. Stanford University professor Dr Tadashi Fukami was impressed by Dr Nikki Harcourt’s presentation at a New Zealand Microbial Ecology Consortium event in February at Waipapa Taumata Rau (University of Auckland) and invited her to speak at Stanford. The presentation was about what an authentic ao Māori (Māori world) framing of microbiology could look like, and how it could enhance environmental health beyond technoscientific knowledge alone. Professor Fukami is committed to promoting research efforts guided by both western and Indigenous science, the approach known as two-eyed seeing. Nikki has now presented two talks at Stanford and is exploring a potential research collaboration with the Fukami Lab.