Ten post-graduate Massey University students have been awarded scholarships totalling $60,000 by the Graduate Women Manawatu Charitable Trust.
Presentations were made to the postgraduate students at a celebratory luncheon held at The Verdict Cafe on September 5th. The luncheon was attended by the postgraduate students, their families and supporters, Massey University research supervisors, and members of Graduate Women Manawatu.
The guest speaker, Prof Tracey Riley, provided an inspiring address on the experiences, people and opportunities that shaped her career. She discussed the importance of purpose, resilience and relationships, and offered perspectives on the ongoing pursuit of equity in education and society. She said that "As Dean Postgraduate Research, I see firsthand the transformative impact that scholarships can have. Graduate Women Scholarships not only support individual achievement but also help build a more inclusive and equitable research community.”
The 2026 awardees are: Tanya Bottomley, Annelise Harvey, Marina Holter, Ashleigh Lindley, Anna McMillan, Holly Minchin, Hinewai Ormsby, Melany Rush, Micaella Turner and Shayla Thomson-Blakely.
Recipients are studying towards Honours or Master degrees in their chosen disciplines at one of Massey University’s campuses or through distance learning. Research topics are in subject areas as diverse as making sense of forgiveness following divorce, analysing indigenous female detectives in contemporary NZ crime novels, how iwi-led spatial planning can reshape regional planning, and investigating the genetic diversity of púkeko and comparing it to two species of lice they carry.
Funding for the scholarships is derived from the hire of academic regalia. Graduate Women Manawatu Charitable Trust Inc owns and operates the Academic Dress Hire business based on the Massey University campus, Palmerston North. This business supplies academic gowns and gowning services for all graduation ceremonies at Massey University and provides gowns for graduations at other tertiary institutions throughout the lower North Island. As a charitable entity all profit from the business is reinvested in education through provision of a variety of scholarships and awards for women throughout New Zealand. In 2025, the Trust celebrated disbursing $3 million in scholarships and awards since 1962.
For further information, please contact the Manager Academic Dress Hire, Ainsley Watson on ainsley@masseygowns.org.nz