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Photo Caption: Professor Philippa Martin
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Professor Philippa Martin and graduate Finn Trass were recognised for their excellence and impact in engineering education and innovation across Aotearoa New Zealand at the awards last Friday.
Professor Philippa Martin wins prestigious ENVI Educator Award
A long-time advocate for diversity and inclusion, Professor Philippa Martin was honoured with the ENVI Educator Award, which recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to engineering education and inspired the next generation of engineers.
A highly respected teacher and leader, Professor Martin has spent more than two decades transforming the learning experience for students at UC, particularly in the crucial first year of the Bachelor of Engineering programme. The ENVI judges praised her sustained impact, leadership through the pandemic, and exceptional teaching effectiveness.
Professor Martin began her UC journey as an engineering student in 1993, at a time when the environment was markedly less inclusive than it is today. Her experiences—and that of female students in later years—became the catalyst for a mission to shift the culture of engineering education in New Zealand. Her outreach to international experts led to a dedicated research focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in engineering education.
One of Professor Martin’s core initiatives was envisaging and leading the co-creation of ENG ME!, a student-led, faculty-enabled peer mentoring program that has become a cornerstone of UC’s inclusive culture. ENG ME! provides a space for whanaungatanga and manaakitanga, fostering a sense of belonging and support for all first-year engineering students.
It also created a pipeline, developing hundreds of diverse student leaders for the engineering workforce.
“My passion and the work I do is to fundamentally shift the culture of engineering education and, over time, the culture of the engineering profession in Aotearoa New Zealand. Fundamental to this is altering the lived experience of diverse people through engineering education, upskilling staff and students in DEI, and providing all with a sense of belonging and inclusion,” Professor Martin says.
Finn Trass named ENVI Student Engineer of the Year
UC graduate Finn Trass was recognised for outstanding design and innovation in his final-year undergraduate project.
Trass was celebrated for his technically rigorous and innovative research into sustainable vanadium recovery—a project with strong potential to improve New Zealand’s access to this critical metal. Vanadium is used to strengthen steel alloys and is a key component in redox-flow batteries for energy storage. Traditional extraction methods from steel slag are highly polluting, but Trass’ work offers a cleaner, more scalable alternative.
Judges praised his strong technical innovation, real-world applicability, well-defined constraints and success metrics, and a high standard of academic communication.
“It’s a real honour to be recognised for a project that not only challenged me technically but could also contribute to a more sustainable future. Vanadium recovery is a growing global issue, and I’m proud that my research might help New Zealand play a part in the solution,” Trass says.
More UC finalists recognised for Excellence
Dr Matthew Cowan was named a finalist for the Engineering Educator Award, acknowledging his significant contributions to engineering education and the vital role educators play in shaping the profession’s future. High school teachers responded with excitement to the education modules Dr Cowan developed with a Curious Minds grant from MBIE. The modules for year 9 and 10 students blended engineering concepts and skills with societal and cultural context, particularly with Pacific knowledge and Mātauranga Māori. Each module is visually stunning, plants the seeds of engineering thinking, and shows how important engineering is to society.
A team of UC students and graduates—Lydia Burnett, Will Maxted, Eve Hudson, Samuel Taylor, and Fred Pankhurst—were finalists for the Student Engineer Award for their innovative animatronic kōkako project. Designed to support conservation efforts for the South Island kōkako, a bird once believed extinct, the students engineered a robust, rainforest-ready model capable of mimicking the bird’s movement and call. The project required the integration of diverse engineering disciplines and was praised by judges for its creativity, technical execution and real-world application.
“It’s especially rewarding to see educational excellence celebrated through the ENVI Educator Award, which highlights the lasting impact great teaching has on the profession. We’re also proud of how UC students and alumni continue to apply their skills to make meaningful contributions across New Zealand and beyond.” says Professor Saurabh Sinha, Executive Dean of UC’s Faculty of Engineering.
Congratulations to Professor Martin, Trass, Dr Cowan, the team of Mechatronics students, other members of the UC community as well as the talented students and educators celebrated at this year’s ENVI Awards.
