NZFVC welcomes new Directors and Advisory Groups

Following a national recruitment process, we are very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Terry Dobbs as our Academic Director - Māori, and Professor Nicola Gavey as our Academic Director - Tauiwi. 

We are also pleased to announce that Associate Professor Janet Fanslow, previous Co-Director for the NZFVC, will be taking on a new role with us as Chief Advisor. 

Terry Dobbs

Dr. Terry Dobbs (Ngāpuhi; Te Rarawa) has many years of experience working in the field of whānau violence prevention and intervention (both within practice and research) and in developing strategies for Māori using cultural frameworks and practices. Terry is a registered social worker and has worked in academic, statutory, community and iwi settings. She has led several research projects involving children and young people and their whānau and has published on Indigenous approaches to well-being (oranga), practice frameworks for mokopuna and whānau well-being, Indigenous research methods, Te Ao Māori approaches to evaluation, Māori-centred social work practice, youth suicide prevention and whānau violence prevention. Her recent research explores reclaiming and applying Te Ao Māori principles to inform and support taitamariki Māori intimate partner relationship well-being. 

Nicola Gavey

Nicola Gavey is a professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland and has conducted research related to domestic violence and sexual violence prevention since the mid-1980s. She has managed several major research grants and has published and spoken extensively on sexual violence and related issues. Her current research includes a critical analysis of the way consent operates in sexual violence prevention discourse, a study of the normalisation of “rough sex” and its relationship to sexual violence, and a study on image-based sexual abuse. Nicola and colleagues have recently developed a new model for working with boys and young men that is directly relevant to sexual violence prevention.  

Statement from the new Directors

Mā whero, mā pango ka oti ai te mahi 

"The Whakatauki above speaks directly to the need for collaboration. Traditionally ‘whero’ signifies chiefs/leaders and ‘pango’ the community/workers. It acknowledges the need for both to work together in order to complete the work. We wish to acknowledge the extensive mahi that the Family Violence Clearinghouse has already achieved and look forward to working in partnership (mahi tahi) with our Advisory Groups and the wider community to place te Tiriti o Waitangi at the centre of what we do. 

Our core function at the NZFVC is to provide equitable access to good quality research and information that can help to inform policy and practice in Aotearoa. This includes drawing on both Western and Māori knowledge systems as well as practice informed evidence. How these systems of knowledge can inform our understanding of violence prevention will be a key focus for the NZFVC as we move forwards."

New Advisory Groups

We are also pleased to announce members to our two new Advisory Groups. 

Māori Advisory Group

• Professor Denise Wilson (Ngāti Tahinga), Auckland University of Technology
• Professor Tracey McIntosh (Ngai Tūhoe), University of Auckland
• Helen Pearse-Otene (Ngāpuhi; Ngāti Rongomaiwahine-Kahungunu; Ngāti Ruanui), Independent
• Kerri Donoghue-Cox (Ngāti Mutunga), Ministry of Social Development
• Dr Michael Roguski (Te Āti Awa; Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Kaitiaki Research
• Rolinda Karapu (Ngāti Pukeko; Ngāti Awa; Ngai Tūhoe; Ngai Tai ki Torere; Ngāti Porou), Te Rau Ora
• Stacey Porter (Ngai Takoto; Ngāti Kahu; Ngāpuhi; Rongowhakaata; Ngāti Maru), Whāraurau

Tauiwi Advisory Group

• Dr Pauline Gulliver, NZ Family Violence Death Review Committee (HQSC)
• Sandra Dickson, Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura - Outing Violence; Shama Ethnic Women's Centre
• Sheryl Hann, Joint Venture Business Unit
• Dr Rob Thomson, University of Otago
• Dr Melanie Beres, University of Otago
• Paulette Benton-Greig, Auckland University of Technology
• Dr Debbie Hager, University of Auckland
• Professor Jennifer Curtin, University of Auckland
• Dr Lucy Langston, Ministry of Social Development
• Juanita Rojas, Shama Ethnic Women's Centre; University of Auckland