Experience

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  University of Otago

  • New Zealand
  • Higher Education
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Head of Department of Food Science

    • Jan 2023 - Present

  • Director of the University of Otago Food Waste Innovation Research Theme

    • 2020 - Present

    I am the Director of the University of Otago Food Waste Innovation Research Theme which measures food waste, develops reduction strategies, applies innovative technology, and works to modify producer and consumer behaviour. As NZ’s leading provider of food waste-related research, this group of interdisciplinary researchers harnesses the best scientific expertise at the University and nationwide in order to provide effective solutions to food waste problems.My own behavioural research in this space engages knowledge from fields such as marketing and psychology to provide insights and interventions for improved food system sustainability. My research creates evidence-based solutions to help change peoples’ behaviours (i.e. identify the barriers to achieving the desired activity, design a behaviour change intervention or strategy to overcome the barriers, and pilot the interventions/strategies before broad implementation). I provide academic consultancy services on food waste to government and businesses and am the author of The Mirosa Report, written for the Parliamentary Environmental Committee who ran a targeted briefing on food waste in NZ, which looks at the current status of food waste in Aotearoa and provides recommendations for action.

  • Associate Professor, Consumer Food Science, Department of Food Science

    • Nov 2010 - May 2023

    My behavioural research engages knowledge from fields such as marketing and psychology. I utilise a range of quantitative and qualitative methods such as: surveys and questionnaires, panels, systematic reviews, behaviour change experiments (in-field and lab based), projective techniques, observations, interviews, focus groups, ethnographic research, and Q methodology. My projects, which provide insights and interventions for improved food system sustainability, embody many types of engagement outside of academia. In recognition of my proactive engagement with key external bodies, I was the 2018 winner of the ‘Outstanding Community Engagement Award’, Division of Sciences, University of Otago. I welcome commercial research proposals and partnerships. I can help your organisation collect and apply insights from behavioural sciences to tackle a wide range of food systems challenges.I can help you with:- Trend-spotting- Deep-dives and report writing- Collecting insights to understand peoples’ behaviours- Creating evidence-based solutions to change peoples’ behaviours (i.e. identify the barriers to achieving a desired activity, design a behavior change intervention or strategy to overcome the barriers, pilot the interventions/strategies before broad implementation)- Strategic advising on food system sustainability issues- Keynote talks, workshops and facilitation

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  New Zealand Food Waste Champions 12.3 Charitable Trust (NZFWC 12.3 Trust)

  • New Zealand
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Board Chair

    • Sep 2022 - Present

  • Co-Chair of the New Zealand Champions 12.3 initiative

    • 2020 - May 2023

    New Zealand’s Champions of 12.3 are a coalition of representatives from across the food supply chain, championing Aotearoa's progress towards halving food waste by 2030. They consist of executives from large retailers, small start-ups, food rescue charities, membership organisations and more.

• 

  Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

  • China

  • Honorary Professor at the International Business School Suzhou

    • 2020 - Present
    • China

    I specialise in conducting behavioural research in the Asia-Pacific region. My strong network of Asia-Pacific based research affiliates means that I am able to conduct in-market behavioural research in the national language.

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  MPI/MBIE Funded Fellowship

  • Taiwan; China

  • NZ/China Postharvest Food Loss and Waste Research Fellow

    • Nov 2016 - Nov 2017
    • Taiwan; China

    – a programme aiming to enhance business-research-government partnerships through commercially meaningful research, complement joint research programmes under the China-NZ Food Safety and Security Science Roadmap, and support the APEC Food Security and Free Trade Area Asia Pacific work

• 

  University of Otago

  • New Zealand
  • Higher Education
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Contract Lecturer

    • 2010 - 2010

  • Project Manager For the ‘Energy Cultures’ Research Project

    • 2009 - 2010