First in group to get PhD

CHANEL Phillips will be the first member of the University of Otago’s Te Koronga Maori postgraduate research excellence group to gain a doctorate, when she graduates from the university today.

Her PhD thesis, which focused on ‘‘Maori perspectives of water safety’’, was recently graded as an ‘‘exceptional thesis’’, ranking in the top 10% of those submitted in the Otago Division of Sciences.

Ms Phillips was ‘‘absolutely thrilled’’ with the thesis outcome, and was already working with Water Safety New Zealand in a bid to reduce the country’s drowning toll.

She is codirector of the research excellence group, which was founded in 2013 and is based at the Otago School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences.