Our Research
Whakapiki Ake is recognised as a high-performing Indigenous/Māori student recruitment programme creating pathways to a range of exciting careers in health. Associate Professor Elana Curtis leads a significant and expanding academic research programme that underpins Vision 20:20 initiatives and informs Whakapiki Ake developments. Here are some recent examples:
Hancock, F., & Cram, F. (2021).
Whakapiki Ake: Evaluating what works when recruiting Māori students into health career pathways. Unpublished report commissioned by the University of Auckland and the Ministry of Health.
Bryers, C., Curtis, E., Tkatch, M., Anderson, A., Stokes, K., Kistanna, S., & Reid, P. (2021).
Indigenous secondary school recruitment into tertiary health professional study: a qualitative study of student and whānau worldviews on the strengths, challenges and opportunities of the Whakapiki Ake Project, Higher Education Research & Development, 40(1), 19-34.
Curtis, E. (2018).
Vision 20:20 and Indigenous health workforce development: Institutional strategies and initiatives to attract underrepresented students into elite courses. In M. Shah, J. McKay, (Eds.) Achieving Equity and Quality in Higher Education, 119-142. Palgrave Studies in Excellence and Equity in Global Education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Curtis, E., Wikaire, E., Jiang, Y., McMillan, L., Loto, R., Poole, P., Barrow, M., Bagg, W., & Reid, P. (2017).
Examining the predictors of academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine via two equity pathways: a retrospective observational study at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. BMJ open, 7(8).
Curtis, E. (2016).
Kohi Maramara: The effect of tertiary recruitment, admission, bridging/foundation education and retention on indigenous health workforce development. [Doctoral thesis]. University of Auckland.
Curtis, E., Wikaire, E., Jiang, Y., McMillan, L., Loto, R., Airini, & Reid, P. (2015a).
A tertiary approach to improving equity in health: quantitative analysis of the Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS) process, 2008–2012. International Journal for Equity in Health, 14(1), 7.
Curtis, E., Wikaire, E., Jiang, Y., McMillan, L., Loto, R., Fonua, S., Herbert, R., Hori, M., Ko, T., Newport, R., Salter, D., Wiles, J., A., & Reid, P. (2015b).
Open to critique: predictive effects of academic outcomes from a bridging/foundation programme on first-year degree-level study. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(1), 151-167.
Curtis, E., Stokes, K., Wikaire, E., & Reid, P. (2015c)
Recruiting via Hui-ā-Rohe: How the Whakapiki Ake Project has increased engagement with Māori students, their whānau (families) and communities. LIME Good Practice Case Studies, 3, 16-23.
Curtis, E., Wikaire, E., Jiang, Y., McMillan, L., Loto, R., Airini, & Reid, P. (2015d).
Quantitative analysis of a Māori and Pacific admission process on first-year health study. BMC Medical Education, 15(1), 196.
Curtis, E., Wikaire, E., Stokes, K., & Reid, P. (2012).
Addressing indigenous health workforce inequities: A literature review exploring ‘best’ practice for recruitment into tertiary health programmes.