UCOL awards celebrate the contributions of trio

UCOL has celebrated the outstanding lives of three people with strong connections to the college.

The UCOL Honours Awards recognise and celebrate the contribution locals have made to the community, society in general, and UCOL itself. The awards were presented to Jamie McCaskill (UCOL Alumni Award), Mike Christensen (UCOL Honorary Fellow Award), and Helen GilmourJones

(UCOL Institutional Medal).

After graduating from UCOL Theatre School in 2000, McCaskill has been working in the arts industry as a writer, actor, director, musician, and producer. He’s a passionate and strong advocator of Ma¯ori theatre and entertainment. He’s won several awards in his wide-spanning career, including the notable Bruce Mason Playwriting Award.

A globally renowned mycologist, Christensen began his journey after completing the New Zealand Certificate in Science at the Palmerston North Technical School (now UCOL). After an extensive scientific career, he’s still putting his enthusiasm for science to good use. Christensen guides undergraduate and postgraduate students through the fascinating world of fungal identification and physiology here and overseas.

“His voluntary work at UCOL has been instrumental in the success of our laboratory science programme and our learners,” portfolio manager Bob Stewart says. “Mike is still actively engaged in world-leading research at Lanzhou University, China. Yet he manages to find the time to help out in our teaching labs, assisting students and lecturers to fine-tune their skills.”

Gilmour-Jones worked with UCOL for nearly 40 years, tackling a variety of roles from lecturer, academic advisor, and project researcher to project planner and student complaint investigator. “She was instrumental in introducing many improvements during her time, the effects of which are still felt today,” executive dean Penny O’Leary says.