Researcher Summary
Melissa Derby (Ngāti Ranginui) is a UC doctoral student whose thesis will contribute to the Literacy strand of A Better Start: E Tipu e Rea National Science Challenge. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University of Wellington and a Master of Arts in Māori Development from AUT University. Her MA was awarded with First Class Honours, and her thesis made the Dean’s List of Exceptional Theses. She also has a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Studies from Columbia University in New York. Melissa holds the Brownlie scholarship, which is awarded to the highest ranked doctoral scholar across the University. She has received numerous academic awards, including the SAGE Publishing Young Writer’s Award and the Royal Commonwealth Society Award. Melissa has a particular interest in advancing Māori education, Māori identity, the human rights discourse, and the global revitalisation of Indigenous epistemologies.
