Masters Degree Theses

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Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Tauranga group in Hamilton city for geological and earthquake modelling
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Smith, Joshua W.; la Croix., Andrew
This study was conducted to investigate the shallow stratigraphy of the Hamilton Central Business District, a city that overlies Hamilton Basin. The study focused on analysing three geotechnical cores and an exposed outcrop in Hamilton City near the Waikato River. Analysis included core logging, facies classification and paleoenvironmental interpretation, 3D structure-from-motion outcrop modelling, radiocarbon dating, as well as mineralogical assessment using X-ray diffraction. Seven unique lithofacies were identified in the cores, six of which were deposited in a braided river system; the seventh was volcanic in origin. The facies include a structureless muddy sandy gravel (F1), structureless sandy mud to muddy sand (F2), current-ripple laminated to cross-bedded muddy sand (F3), planar-bedded sandy mud to muddy sand (F4), current-ripple laminated to cross-bedded sandy mud (F5), structureless to planar bedded peat (F6A) and coal (F6B). These facies are typical of the Piako and Walton Subgroups of the Tauranga Group. The outcrop studied was a free face spanning approximately 20 metres in height and consisted of strata typical of the Hinuera Formation. One section of the outcrop showed potential evidence of liquefaction. Overall, the strata were structured or structureless, consisting of mud, sand, gravel, and organic layers. Sediments were highly pumiceous, and partially rhyolitic at times, with bed thickness ranging from sub-decimetre to metre-scale. These units, when packaged, showed several whole and partial cycles of active and abandoned river channels, indicating significant channel migration and flooding events typical of a braided-river system. The constantly migrating channels have resulted in the units encountered having laterally discontinuous physical characteristics; notably, the mineralogical composition was highly similar across samples and cores. Liquefaction susceptibility was compared with previous seismic studies, with a focus on the physical characteristics of the sediments encountered during this investigation and those of comparable sedimentary basins. The complexities of a braided river system's horizontal and vertical geometry in a geological modelling context were discussed, along with potential solutions to minimise scaling issues encountered when creating a coarse-scale 3D geological model. The vertical extent of some of the facies encountered during the investigation (F3 to F6B) was identified as the most at risk of over- or under-estimation during data upscaling. Near-well upscaling, confined by border cells, in combination with stochastic modelling, was suggested to resolve some of the scaling issues that will be encountered during model development.
Bridging policy and practice: A qualitative study of paternal postpartum depression support in Aotearoa/New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Hausser-See, Jessica; Fox, Ririwai
Paternal postpartum depression remains a critically under-recognised issue in Aotearoa/New Zealand, despite widespread rhetoric around whānau-centred care. This thesis examines the extent to which existing policies and services support fathers’ mental health during the perinatal period, arguing that the gap between policy and practice is demonstrated by the absence of policy altogether. This research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, a policy and strategy analysis was undertaken to understand what guidance exists for supporting dads' mental health during the perinatal period in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This included reviewing national health frameworks, resources from non-governmental organisations and public-facing information. The second stage involved a qualitative study with seven dads, who participated in semi-structured interviews or an online focus group. Their experiences were analysed thematically and interpreted through Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory to understand how their wellbeing was shaped by multiple, interacting layers of context; from personal and relational dynamics to organisational systems and broader cultural norms. Findings reveal that while fathers experience significant emotional distress and identity disruption during early parenthood, they often feel invisible within a maternal-centric service landscape. At the micro-level, participants reported internalised masculine norms and role ambiguity. At the meso and exo-levels, they described inconsistent engagement by health professionals, limited access to formal support, and structural constraints such as unpaid partner leave. Macro-level norms further reinforced the expectation that fathers act as supporters rather than care recipients. Critically, no national policy or clinical pathways exist to guide routine recognition or support for paternal PPD, and whānau-centred frameworks rarely operationalise meaningful inclusion of fathers. This thesis calls for targeted policy development, culturally inclusive service delivery, and routine, father-specific mental health screening to close this gap. Addressing paternal mental health is not only vital for the wellbeing of fathers but also for tamariki and whānau outcomes. The findings contribute to community psychology by highlighting how social, cultural, and systemic structures shape wellbeing and by advocating for structural accountability beyond individual resilience.
A comparison of new and traditional techniques for removing proteins responsible for haze in white wine
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Zhu, Wencui; Lay, Mark C.; Gavin, Chanelle
Wine haze is a common quality problem for white wines where the proteins in wine denature over time or at high temperature and form a stable suspension reducing the clarity of the wine. Wine susceptibility to haze formation is assessed using the heat test, which involves heating the wine to 80 °C for two hours, followed by cooling for three hours and measuring the change in turbidity. Proteins responsible for wine haze can be removed using adsorbents such as bentonite, but results in wine losses of up to 10% and large volumes of lees from hydrated bentonite. amaea, a start up company, has developed three promising adsorbents, alginate bentonite hydrogel (ABH), and two polymer-based media named Protx and Phenx, for removing these proteins. Adsorption experiments were conducted on a typical unfinished, heat-unstable Sauvignon Blanc wine and compared to bentonite treated and heat-treated wine. The media and their performance were characterised through particle size analysis, surface area and pore size measurement, SEM structural and elemental analysis, ion exchange capacity tests, zeta potential, adsorption isotherms and kinetics, and small-scale batch heat stabilisation tests. Protx had a mean diameter of 3.2 mm, and mean circularity of 0.55, and a surface area of 47 m2/g compared to PhenX which was 2.3 mm, 0.8, and 192 m2/g respectively. Protx had five times the cation exchange capacity and 10 times the anion exchange capacity of Phenx, had a zeta potential of -800 mV compared to -80 mV for Phenx and required 5 times the amount of HCl to reduce the zeta potential to zero. Protx had 30 times the affinity for wine proteins and had a 90 times greater rate of adsorption to the media surface compared to Phenx. ABH achieved the highest removal of wine proteins (85%), followed by Protx (74%), bentonite (64%), heat treatment (61%), and Phenx (55%), as measured by the Bradford method. Wine samples before and after treatment were filtered, dialysed and freeze-dried to concentrate wine proteins for analysis. The alkaline Bradford assay, which was more sensitive to protein and less affected by phenolic compounds compared to the conventional Bradford method, was adopted for quantification. Protein analysis was conducted using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis using Any kDa stain-free gels, reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, and gel filtration chromatography. Peak deconvolution of gel filtration spectra was performed using Origin 2024b. Positive correlations were found between total protein concentration with heat-induced turbidity. The 33 kDa and 21.6 kDa proteins contribute to haze formation; the 18.3 kDa proteins are possible TLPs isomers, with F2/4JRU being heat unstable and I/4L5H and/or H2/4MBT being able to refold after cooling; while the 49.2 and 61.2 kDa proteins may have minimal contribution to heat induced turbidity and partially precipitate during heating and cooling due to crossing linking with heat unstable proteins.
Examining the rourou: Exploring Pākehā educators' preparedness for and practices in teaching Māori texts in the english classroom
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Tunstall, Kashka; Cunningham, Emma; McMillan, Hoana
This research investigates the ways in which Pākehā English teachers in English-medium secondary schools teach Māori texts. English teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand are increasingly teaching Māori-authored and Māori-focused texts as the education system grapples with addressing centuries of inequitable practices and outcomes for Māori ākonga. Research supports culturally responsive teaching and learning practices in improving student success and wellbeing, and the sector has been making strides in incorporating mātauranga Māori in many areas of the curriculum. However, scholarship has not yet adequately interrogated how teachers in secondary English classrooms, the majority of whom are Pākehā women, engage with Māori texts. This is especially crucial in the wake of significant changes to the English curriculum which now mandates the teaching of Māori-authored texts in Years 7 through 10. This research bridges that gap, illustrating Pākehā teacher perspectives, views, barriers, and enablers when teaching Māori texts. This is achieved through semi-structured interviews with six teachers, and a thematic analysis of their shared stories, which are presented as narrative case studies. The findings highlight the need for stronger structural support for teachers when teaching Māori texts. This includes more robust preparation in Initial Teacher Education, opportunities for professional collaboration, and the development of reflexive teaching practices. Teachers also described vulnerability and resilience as important elements of culturally responsive practice. The findings offer insights for educators to support their own reflexive practice and highlight potential systemic changes needed within Initial Teacher Education and Ministry of Education subject support to better prepare current and future non-Māori English teachers to work confidently with Māori texts.
Framing disability in Malaysian federal budget speeches: A discourse analysis of disability policy narratives (2016-2026)
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Koong, Veronica; Piercy-Cameron, Gemma
Disability policy plays a crucial role in shaping opportunities and social participation for persons with disabilities (PWDs). While existing research has examined disability policy frameworks in Malaysia, fewer studies have explored how disability is represented within official government policy discourse. This thesis examines how disability is framed in Malaysian federal budget speeches from 2016 to 2026 and what these framings reveal about underlying policy approaches. The study adopts a qualitative discourse analysis informed by social constructionism and framing theory. Malaysian federal budget speeches were analysed as key policy texts that communicate government priorities and justify public expenditure decisions. Disability-related references were coded to identify recurring policy frames. Six dominant frames were identified: welfare and protection; accessibility and service access; symbolic recognition; education and developmental support; employment and economic participation; and care and rehabilitation support. The findings show that disability is frequently positioned within broader narratives of vulnerable populations, social welfare programmes, and national development. While some references reflect elements of the social model of disability, welfare-oriented narratives remain prominent. Importantly, the findings highlight a gap between rights-based policy commitments and their implementation, with disability governance remaining largely programme-based and lacking strong enforcement mechanisms. Overall, this study demonstrates how disability is positioned within Malaysian policy discourse and contributes to broader discussions on disability policy and governance.
Septic-derived nutrient contamination of shallow groundwater in Lake Tarawera: Extent, fate, and ecological consequences
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Tetzlaff, Sarah; Özkundakci, Deniz; Tempero, Grant Wayne
Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are important point sources of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to lakes, with nutrients transported via groundwater to the nearshore zone where they can stimulate algal growth and degrade littoral ecosystems. At Lake Tarawera (Bay of Plenty, New Zealand), OWTS are estimated to contribute 3–5 % to the annual nutrient load, prompting implementation of a sewage reticulation scheme of the residential area along the lake’s western margin. However, the spatial distribution, subsurface transport, and ecological consequences of septic-derived nutrients remain poorly quantified. This study assessed shallow groundwater contamination within the urbanised western margin, examined groundwater–littoral transport pathways, and evaluated potential effects on benthic primary producers. Groundwater was sampled monthly from 21 piezometers along upslope and downslope transects between April 2023 and March 2025 and analysed for nitrate-N, nitrite-N, ammoniacal-N, and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP). Groundwater connectivity to the lake was assessed by relating antecedent rainfall to groundwater flux into the littoral zone, measured using 24-hour benthic chamber deployments. Stable isotope ratios of nitrate (δ15N and δ18O) in groundwater and pore water, alongside δ15N and δ13C in macrophyte, benthic algal, and suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) tissue, were used to trace septic-derived nitrogen transport. Benthic gross primary production (GPP) was estimated seasonally at six nearshore sites using 1.5-hour benthic chamber incubations to assess potential changes in littoral metabolism. Results revealed localised areas of elevated nutrient concentrations within the urban zone, with high maximum values observed for ammoniacal-N (61 mg L-1), nitrate-N (7.4 mg L-1), DRP (8.7 mg L-1), and nitrite-N (0.91 mg L-1), consistent with previously reported septic contamination ranges and higher than those measured in a prior study at the lake. No consistent seasonal or annual patterns were observed. Enriched δ15N values were observed in both upslope groundwater (5.50 ± 3.18 ‰) and littoral pore water (6.51 ± 3.43 ‰), indicating wastewater-derived nitrogen inputs to the adjacent littoral zone. However, low δ15N values in SPOM, macrophytes, and benthic algae (1.48 ± 0.83 ‰), suggested limited assimilation by primary producers. Sites exhibiting dense epiphytic algal growths during spring and summer displayed the highest benthic GPP rates (maximum = 296 mg O₂ m² h⁻¹). Although vegetation biomass explained the most variation in GPP (19 %), multiple lines of evidence suggest that upslope groundwater nutrient enrichment may have promoted short-term epiphytic algal growth at certain sites under favourable growing conditions. This study provides integrated evidence linking septic-derived nutrient transport through groundwater to altered benthic community structure in Lake Tarawera. Although measurable impacts on primary producer assimilation were limited, substantial nutrient loading to shallow groundwater and the nearshore zone was evident. Periphyton responses appear to be a sensitive indicator of early nutrient pressure preceding broader metabolic changes. Continued inputs may increase the risk of shifts towards greater algal dominance, underscoring the need to address OWTS sources proactively. Lake Tarawera serves as a case study of a widespread and often underestimated issue of nutrient contamination from OWTS across New Zealand, emphasising the importance of strengthened monitoring and management to help combat further freshwater degradation.
The leashed we can do: Effects of targeted conservation messaging on dog leashing behaviour
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Smith, Ashleigh; Blackmore, Tania
The current study investigated whether the viewing of posters conveying kiwi conservation or dog safety messaging would influence behaviour change in the form of reasons given to leash their dog: would participants leash their dog more for concerns about dog safety and welfare, or more for concerns related to kiwi conservation. The results showed that both Poster A (kiwi conservation message) and Poster B (dog welfare message) had a significant effect on how participants answered, “how likely are you to leash your dog in the bush?” with participants choosing both the kiwi conservation message and the dog welfare message more frequently post survey than they did pre survey. This finding supports previous NZ based research by Macdonald (2015) and Macaskill (2025) who both found that highlighting pet welfare was more effective at increasing conservation behaviour than highlighting the intended conservation behaviour.
Operationalising bicultural practice with Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand: Registered psychologists' experiences, approaches, and challenges
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Wilson, Alice; Mohi , Simone R.
Registered psychologists in Aotearoa New Zealand are required under Te Tiriti o Waitangi to integrate Māori worldviews and culturally responsive practices into their therapeutic work. However, empirical research examining how psychologists operationalise bicultural practice in everyday clinical settings remains limited. This qualitative study addressed two research questions: (1) How do psychologists operationalise bicultural principles in their psychological practice? and (2) What are the biggest challenges psychologists have experienced in engaging in bicultural practice? Semi structured interviews were conducted with 24 registered psychologists, and results were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Eight themes were identified: (1) Prioritising Whakawhanaungatanga, (2) Client-Centred Cultural Responsiveness, (3) Te Whare Tapa Whā as a Fundamental Framework, (4) Cultural Practices Integration, (5) Ongoing Commitment to Preparation and Learning, (6) Fear and Anxiety as Barriers to Engagement, (7) Barriers to Engagement: Bicultural Training and Educational Preparation, and (8) Navigating Practitioner Positionality and Client Cultural Identity Complexity. Together, these findings illustrate how psychologists are actively incorporating bicultural practice across diverse clinical settings while navigating systemic, educational, and personal barriers. Results are discussed within the He Awa Whiria (Braided Rivers) framework, with implications for training, professional standards, and the ongoing development of bicultural psychological practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Improving diabetes self-management in Māori communities: The use of behaviour skills training with continuous glucose monitoring
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Laird, Nikcarla; Blackmore, Tania Louise; Nankivell, Rewi
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic health condition characterised by irregularities in the production and processing of insulin. Within the New Zealand context, diabetes disproportionately affects the Māori population more than non-Māori. Self-management of diabetes relies heavily on individual behaviours to manage the condition, which can be challenging for individuals to effectively achieve on a daily basis. Due to the higher proportion of Māori who suffer from diabetes, there is a need for culturally tailored and effective interventions to support diabetes self-management. This aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour skills training (BST) to improve diabetes selfmanagement behaviours for two Māori participants who use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices. The study integrated an applied behaviour analysis (ABA) intervention in BST and a Kaupapa Māori approach where tikanga Māori was weaved into the four components of BST. A task analysis was curated to score the correct procedure of applying a CGM device, with the goal of improving the participants self-management and overall health, aiming toward an improved quality of life. BST combined with a Kaupapa Māori approach was an effective tool for improving diabetes self-management for Māori participants who use CGM, highlighting the need for culturally responsive interventions in healthcare as well as acknowledging the effectiveness of a behavioural approach to medicine.
Expression of gonadal immune genes during prepubertal sex change in spotty wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus)
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Longney, Jana; Muncaster, Simon; van der Burg, Chloé
Teleost fish display exceptional diversity in their reproductive strategies, including sequential hermaphroditism, in which individuals undergo complete functional sex change during adulthood (monandry) and in some cases, a second male morph can arise prior to puberty (diandry). While the endocrine and genetic mechanisms underlying sex change have been extensively studied, the contribution of the immune system to gonadal remodelling remains poorly understood. This thesis investigates the role of immune processes during female-tomale prepubertal sex change in initial-phase members of the New Zealand spotty wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus). This study integrates histological analysis with gene expression profiling to examine immune involvement across transitional stages of gonadal sex change. Histological examination revealed stage-dependent changes in gonadal leukocyte (eosinophilic granular cell) abundance and localisation, coinciding with ovarian degeneration and testicular development. Gene expression analyses demonstrated coordinated increases in immuneassociated markers (cd68, il-1β, and tnf-α), particularly during late transitional and male stages. Notably, immune activation was not confined to early degenerative phases but persisted into the male phase, suggesting roles beyond debris clearance, likely including tissue organisation and maintenance. Although inter-individual variability limited statistical significance for some markers, consistent directional trends across genes and concordance with histological observations support a biologically meaningful pattern of immune modulation during sex change. By building a body of evidence that links immune gene expression with histological evidence of leukocyte involvement, this study highlights a likely localised immune function response as a key mechanism associated with vertebrate sex change. Importantly, it identifies immune cells as active contributors to sex change rather than passive responders.
Emotional and physical challenges faced by parents and caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Kikale, Viraj Vikram; Curtis, Cate
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a significant impact on the broader family, with parents and other carers experiencing high levels of parenting stress, caregiver burden and psychological distress. A body of research has explored emotional and practical/physical impacts of ASD caregiving, but the degree to which these outcomes co-occur across child, carer and contextual factors has not been synthesised within recent quantitative evidence. This systematic review aimed to synthesise quantitative empirical studies published mainly from 2015 onwards for exploring emotional and physical/practical caregiving outcomes in ASD caregiving. Methods: PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL and ERIC were searched using pre-defined eligibility criteria. One hundred and fourteen records were screened and twenty studies were included in the main synthesis and additional sources were used for contextual and measurement purposes, but were not counted as included studies. Data were extracted and synthesised using structured narrative comparison, with consideration of methodological quality and contextual moderators. Across included studies, child clinical characteristics and caregiving context were commonly associated with variation in carer outcomes, including psychological distress and indicators of practical/physical burden (e.g. time demands and fatigue where measured). Carer characteristics (including gender, socioeconomic circumstances, health status, resilience and social support) were frequently explored as correlates or moderators. Intervention studies most commonly reported modest improvements in carer distress, while practical/physical caregiving demands were less consistently targeted where structural caregiving responsibilities remained unchanged. Methodological limitations commonly identified included the use of cross-sectional designs, dominance of self-report measures and poor representation of fathers and non-Western samples. This review emphasizes the multidimensional and context-dependent nature of ASD caregiving outcomes and highlights key priorities for enhancing the rigour of future quantitative research in this field.
“I don’t want to be this chaos that I live in”: Stories of resilience from adult survivors of child maltreatment
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Cameron, Lita; Jackson, Kimberly M.
Child maltreatment is a devastating public health issue with enduring effects across the lifespan. Research has focused on resilience to understand how individuals cope and adapt following adversity. However, psychological research predominately characterises resilience as an individual trait, focusing on protective factors to inform individual, therapy based interventions. Drawing on community psychology’s liberatory orientation, this thesis takes a qualitative, relational approach to resilience research, exploring how adult survivors of childhood maltreatment understand and experience resilience. It investigates what survivors find meaningful in facilitating their resilience, the role of community and social supports, and how their accounts compare with the dominant model of resilience as adaptive ‘bouncing back’. Narrative methods were used to explore how participants storied their resilience, contextualised by my insider researcher position. Semi-structured interviews, incorporating a mind mapping activity, were conducted with three participants. Narrative analysis was used to examine the function of participants’ stories of resilience. Participants’ accounts reflected a broader landscape of healing than typically emphasised in resilience literature, with therapeutic resources and interventions forming a small role. Participants also storied their resilience through ‘giving back’, using their experiences to prevent others’ suffering. Finally, resilience was formed and maintained through ongoing, exhausting labour. Overall, this thesis argues that recognising resilience as labour has important implications for conceptualising resilience and supporting survivors.
Affiliative and hostile grooming in child sexual abuse cases: Juror blame attribution and the role of expert testimony
(The University of Waikato, 2026-05-16) Van Den Anker, Kate; Evelo, Andrew
This study examined whether mock jurors’ evaluations of child sexual abuse (CSA) differ as a function of grooming type (affiliative vs. hostile) and the presence of expert testimony. Drawing on attribution theory, rape-myth frameworks, and the Sexual Grooming Model, it was hypothesised that affiliative grooming would be associated with greater victim blame, reduced perpetrator responsibility, and more lenient sentencing relative to hostile grooming, and that expert testimony would reduce these biases by clarifying the manipulative and strategic nature of grooming behaviours. A 2 × 2 × 2 mixed-subjects experimental design was used, in which participants (N = 271) recruited via CloudResearch Connect read a CSA vignette depicting either affiliative or hostile grooming, with or without expert testimony. Participants then completed measures of victim and perpetrator blame and provided sentencing recommendations. Contrary to predictions, grooming type and expert testimony did not significantly influence victim blame, perpetrator blame, or sentencing recommendations. Across conditions, participants attributed high responsibility to the perpetrator and minimal responsibility to the victim. Equivalence testing indicated that observed differences in sentencing were not statistically equivalent within a pre-specified one-year bound, although effects were small and generally consistent in direction with hypotheses. These findings suggest that when CSA is clearly established and offender responsibility is uncontested, juror judgments may be driven primarily by moral certainty rather than variations in grooming presentation. The absence of expert testimony effects further suggests that such interventions may be most relevant in contexts characterised by ambiguity, misinformation, or evidentiary uncertainty, rather than cases where responsibility is already clearly assigned. Overall, this study introduces an affiliative–hostile grooming framework within juror decision-making research and suggests that grooming distinctions may have limited influence under conditions of confirmed abuse. Future research should examine these effects in contexts involving greater evidentiary ambiguity and more ecologically valid trial processes.
Thalassaemia and haemoglobinopathy in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty: A review of testing and prevalence of haemoglobinopathy at Pathlab Waikato
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Annan, Sally; Peters, Linda M.
Haemoglobinopathies are amongst the most common genetic disorders in the world but remain relatively overlooked. The World Health Organisation estimates around 5.2% of the global population may be carriers of a pathogenic haemoglobinopathy due to a mutation in one of the haemoglobin genes. For the past decade Pathlab Waikato has established a database of all diagnosed haemoglobinopathy and thalassaemia, with the intention that this data may be used to assess and improve the New Zealand national screening service. The purpose of this research was to analyse this database to investigate 1) What is being diagnosed in our region? 2) How common are these haemoglobinopathies? and 3) What is being missed? Answers to this will provide a better understanding of the pathology and prevalence of this disease in our region, and to provide recommendations and strategy for future testing. The haemoglobinopathy database was analysed alongside data from incidental abnormal haemoglobin detection through testing for HbA1c. This information was run through RStudio for statistical analysis of ethnicity data to confirm that ethnicity was a significant predictor of the presence of abnormal haemoglobin (p value <0.001). Prevalence of different haemoglobinopathies was calculated and this was compared to previously reported prevalence both globally and within certain ethnic groups. Using population information from StatsNZ and the past three New Zealand Censuses (2023, 2018, 2013) the ethnic makeup of our testing population was also determined. With all of this information combined, differences and shortfalls in our database can be identified when compared to calculated estimates of prevalence of abnormal haemoglobin. From the database, Pathlab performed 6,589 thalassaemia screens with a positive detection rate average of 53% with a steady increase in haemoglobinopathy testing every year. The most commonly diagnosed haemoglobinopathies (in order) were α thalassaemia, β thalassaemia, heterozygous HbE, and heterozygous HbS. Using known ethnic prevalence from the literature review and the ethnic makeup of our community from the census, it was found we are detecting less than what would be expected for our population. For example, 5.85% of our population has identified themselves as Indian, and based on previous reports at least 3% of them should be carriers for β thalassaemia. This would come to roughly 1,179 people. However, during our screening period, only 621 confirmed diagnoses of β thalassaemia were made. Furthermore, using the Hardy-Weinberg equation, it is estimated there may be over 10,000 and 3,000 carriers of HbE and HbS, respectively. This is compared to only 358 and 171 detected in our database. Even if the actual allele frequency is half of what was calculated, the shortfall is stark. With all this in mind, Pathlab are already introducing an extra step through the screening of abnormalities found incidentally in HbA1c. However, there are further steps we can take to tackle this deficit, including the establishment of a national database and national screening service. The process to allow accurate haemoglobinopathy screening in New Zealand was outlined. If haemoglobinopathy screening was introduced as part of an antenatal screen, it would help to bridge the gap we have uncovered here to prevent negative health outcomes and further strain on our health care system.
The volcanic geology of the Western Tauranga Basin
(The University of Waikato, 1994) Whitbread-Edwards, Annette N.; Briggs, Roger
The western Tauranga basin is bounded to the north by the Tauranga Harbour and to the west by the Kaimai Range. It contains rhyolitic domes, ignimbrites, fluvial deposits and tephras. The oldest units are the Minden Rhyolites which are hypersthene, hornblende and biotite rhyolites. These form the dome complexes Minden Peak, Manawata and Kaikaikaroro. These domes are surrounded by the overlying Waiteariki Ignimbrite which is a dacitic ignimbrite made up of three flow units and contains co-eruptive lithics ,vithin its basal unit. The Te Puna Ignimbrite is a rhyolitic ignimbrite which is found in the coastal cliffs around westerm Tauranga Harbour. Flu vial material which is prodominantly of volcanic origin lies unconformably below and on top of the Te Puna Ignimbrite. A number of tephras overlie the rhyolites and ignimbrites in the area. These are: Pahoia Tephras, Hamilton Ash, Rotoehu Ash, Mangaone, Oruanui, Okareka, Mamaku, Taupo and Kaharoa Tephras. Whole rock geochemistry shows that western Tauranga basin rocks are calcalkaline, and have resulted from arc volcanism. The rocks have formed predominantly from crystal fractionation, with the rhyolites also resulting from crustal melting. The Te Puna Ignimbrite contains pumice that ranges in Si02 content which indicates that the magma chamber was zoned. Upon eruption the magma chamber under went simple inversion which is seen when comparing element composition and stratigraphic height. This eruption may have caused a caldera which is located east of Katikati. The Tauranga basin lies between the Coromandel Volcanic Zone and the Taupo Volcanic Zone, and is a transitional zone in terms of age and geochemistry, shown by transitional incompatible trace element ratios.
Exploring local food rescue and distribution initiatives as a form of community development
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Thomas, Lucy; Graham, Rebekah Sarah
This thesis explores how community food rescue initiatives in Kirikiriroa Hamilton respond to food insecurity - while fostering empowerment and community wellbeing. Despite Aotearoa New Zealand being a nation of agricultural abundance, approximately one in five children and one in four households experience food insecurity (DPMC, 2021; Child Poverty Action Group, 2019). This statistic reflects systemic inequalities which are rooted in neoliberal policy reforms rather than mere food availability. This research is informed by community psychology values and uses a Participatory Action Research (PAR) informed approach. This study employed participatory action research–informed qualitative design, using semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis to explore experiences of food rescue among facilitators and recipients in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. The study interviewed seven participants, four recipients of food rescue and three facilitators of community food initiatives – all supported by Go Eco, a local food rescue organisation. The findings from interviews with both recipients and facilitators reveal that food rescue initiatives embody empowerment and provide support that makes a real positive difference in daily life. Yet the research also makes something clear, these initiatives, no matter how well-intentioned or skilfully run cannot fix the systems that create food insecurity in the first place. The food rescue initiatives are not a preventative approach to food security, yet a band-aid problem which provides essential basic needs to community members. This research deepens understanding on how community-driven approaches can protect dignity and foster wellbeing, even amid precarity and food hardship. At the same time, the research makes it clear that this work only exists because structural supports have failed. Meaningful change requires confronting inadequate welfare provisions, living costs that very much outpace incomes and benefits, and the neoliberal framing that positions poverty as personal failure rather than policy failure. The study offers insights for community organisations, policymakers and community psychologists.
Can concentration-varied secondary target training improve generalisation across primary target concentrations in scent-detection dogs?
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Bhasin, Ishan; Edwards, Timothy L.
Scent-detection dogs are often expected to identify target odours across a range of concentrations, despite typically being trained using a single baseline concentration. This raises the possibility that concentration changes may disrupt stimulus control and reduce accurate responding in applied settings. Previous research suggests that dogs may show limited generalisation when target quantity or concentration differs substantially from training, indicating that concentration may be a functionally important dimension of olfactory stimulus control. The present study examined whether dogs trained to detect target odours at a single concentration would spontaneously generalise responding to higher concentrations of those same odours. Three dogs were trained using an automated olfactometer to discriminate two target odours, cinnamaldehyde and hexanoic acid, from non-target odours. After discrimination training, novel non-target testing, and intermittent reinforcement training, two dogs completed non-reinforced probe trials involving higher-concentration variants of the trained target odours. Probe responding differed systematically across odours. For both dogs, indications to higher-concentration hexanoic acid probes were more frequent than indications to non-targets, but less frequent than indications to the trained target, consistent with partial generalisation. In contrast, indications to the higher-concentration cinnamaldehyde probe overlapped with indications to non-targets, suggesting little reliable transfer of stimulus control. These findings suggest that training at a single concentration may not be sufficient to support robust generalisation across concentration changes and highlight the importance of treating concentration as a relevant training dimension in scent-detection training.
Importance of stream-wetland refuges for kōaro populations: Are wetlands overlooked climate refugia for kōaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) due to underestimation of their ecological flexibility?
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Kahotea, Josette; Burdon, Frank
Wetlands are widely valued in conservation and restoration, yet their ecological role when connected to lakes is often misunderstood in the management of freshwater fish. Rather than functioning simply as hydrological buffers for lake catchments, wetlands may serve as critical refugia for native fishes under increasing pressure from climatic variability and invasive predators. I investigated whether the spring-fed Millar Road Wetland (MRW), located on the margin of Lake Ōkāreka (Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes, Aotearoa), supports a persistent population of kōaro (Galaxias brevipinnis Günther, 1866). A key objective of my research was to examine the mechanisms underpinning the potential refuge function of the wetland. By integrating year-round population monitoring, mark–recapture analysis, environmental modelling, and stable isotope analysis, I assessed demographic stability, predator limitation, and trophic structure of kōaro in this habitat. The MRW supported a resident, multi-cohort kōaro population exhibiting seasonal recruitment, positive allometric growth, and stable body condition across years. Mark-recapture data indicated close site fidelity and continued individual growth, while interannual comparisons demonstrated stable adult size structure despite evidence for variable juvenile recruitment. Other notable members of the MRW community included common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidianus McDowall, 1975) and kōura (Paranephrops planifrons White, 1842). Although juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792) appear to enter the wetland periodically, their occurrence was spatially restricted to upstream areas and may be strongly mediated by hydrological connectivity. Episodic dissolved oxygen minima and shallow, structurally complex habitat likely constrain trout residency and growth, while kōaro were able to persist in the wetland across seasons. Stable isotope analysis revealed strong trophic differentiation: kōaro were supported predominantly by allochthonous carbon, largely via detritivorous aquatic insects, whereas common bullies relied on autochthonous benthic production. I hypothesised that this energy-channel partitioning of the food web reduces exploitative competition and helps explain the coexistence of these two native fish species at relatively high densities. Together, these findings suggest that the role of the MRW as a refuge emerges not from absolute predator exclusion, but from a locally-dependent balance between hydrological connectivity, environmental filtering, habitat structure, and trophic organisation. Connectivity in the wetland is both essential and risky: it sustains demographic exchange with the lake whilst periodically permitting an invasive, non-native predator access, yet environmental harshness limits sustained trout establishment, and asymmetric tolerances allow kōaro to persist. In a climate-sensitive species such as kōaro, the persistence of a robust wetland population highlights the potential importance of small, groundwater-fed systems as dynamic refugia within invaded landscapes. Protecting and restoring similar wetlands may therefore play a critical role in safeguarding native freshwater biodiversity under ongoing climatic and hydrological change in Aotearoa.
Structural origins of catastrophic forgetting in self-supervised continual learning: A directional and curvature-based analysis of the learning signal
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Huang, Rucheng; Pfahringer, Bernhard
Catastrophic forgetting remains a fundamental challenge in continual learning, where acquiring new knowledge systematically degrades previously learned representations. While existing approaches primarily mitigate this by imposing architectural constraints or using data replay strategies, they offer limited theoretical insight into why and how parameter updates interfere with consolidated knowledge structures. This thesis proposes a structured analytical lens to examine the collision between new and old knowledge at the level of parameter updates, feature representations, and low-dimensional learning signals. Rather than introducing a new method, we seek to characterize the geometric conditions under which gradient updates pose the greatest risk to previously learned structure. Specifically, we hypothesize that forgetting is governed by the degree to which parameter updates project onto high-curvature regions of the old task's loss landscape, namely those directions along which the old loss function is most sensitive to perturbation. We derive a theoretical bound that isolates this curvature-projection term as the dominant factor driving representational forgetting, and empirically verify both the structural conditions under which this bound holds and its statistical relationship with observed forgetting. To ground this analysis in a concrete and mechanistically interpretable setting, we adopt SwAV, a representative self-supervised contrastive learning framework, as our experimental substrate. We leverage SwAV's internal prototype assignment process as a low-dimensional learning signal that faithfully reflects the underlying representational dynamics, allowing the theoretical bound to be expressed and studied in a tractable, interpretable form. Building on this, we further consider whether the second-order sensitivity structure of old knowledge, when projected into a lower-dimensional subspace, retains meaningful geometric differentiation between sensitive and insensitive directions. Our experiments confirm that such a structure persists at low dimensionality and that SwAV's learning signal selectively engages it. We observe that interference with prior knowledge is measurably reduced when the energy of the new task's low-dimensional signal concentrates along axes that carry less of the old task's curvature structure, rather than along regions of high coupling.
Bridging the gap: An exploration into the experiences and challenges faced by new educators and their mentors in Aotearoa New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Heng, Marnie; Peters, Sally; Carss, Wendy Diane
This research study provides an exploration into current beginning teacher mentoring relationships, with a focus on identifying the experiences and challenges faced by both beginning and mentor teachers. The purpose of this research was to identify key trends in data and possible implications to support the ongoing growth, consistency and quality of mentoring provided in primary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. This inquiry not only focused on the beginning teachers' growth and successful transition into their new community of practice, but also on the support in place for mentor teachers to effectively meet the needs of their beginning teachers and provide quality mentoring. This study contributes to the field of mentoring research by providing a key focus on mentor experiences and perspectives in mentoring relationships that are limited in both domestic and international academic research. Situated in a constructivist paradigm driven by a ‘Communities of Practice’ (Lave & Wenger, 1991) theoretical approach, the design of the research was sectioned into two phases. Phase 1 consisted of a mixed method approach using a survey (N=24) as the data collection tool to analyse recent beginning and mentor teacher experiences. Phase 2 followed a qualitative case study approach allowing for in-depth investigation and analysis of the dyadic relationship between two pairs of current beginning and mentor teachers. Case study data were collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The findings from this data extend understanding of the inconsistencies in beginning teacher experiences by examining the policy frameworks and practical approaches mentor teachers draw upon. Key findings highlighted that even positive mentoring experiences were bound by the same challenges regarding a lack of support and structure surrounding the mentoring experience and dyadic relationship. Findings highlighted the lack of clarity in the current policy framework; minimal access and availability of professional development opportunities for both beginning and mentor teachers; and a lack of theoretical understanding of the principles underpinning the educative mentoring approach. These findings were grouped into positive impacts on mentoring experiences and challenges impacting the success of mentoring experiences, which were then discussed in relation to domestic and international research findings. The existing and proposed mentoring and induction programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand provide broad guidance, yet challenges remain interpreting policy into effective mentoring practices. This thesis argues that effective implementation of educative mentoring practices (Feiman-Nemser, 2001) necessitates a structured mentoring design. The implications of these additions would have significant benefits to the practical application of mentoring practices and procedures within the beginning and mentor teacher relationship. Further practical implications from my study including training and support, considered mentor selection, and stronger dialogue between universities and school communities of practice would contribute to higher consistency in the quality of mentoring provided nationally.

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