Work spanning from treating infant sleep disorders to how surfing could help prevent young people from heading toward criminal lives, has seen one of New Zealand’s top academics receive a prestigious psychology award.

Emeritus Professor Neville Blampied has been awarded the triennial Hunter Award by the New Zealand Psychological Society, acknowledging his lifetime of scholarship, research, and outstanding contribution to his profession.

Professor Blampied founded “The Good Nights” project, which focused on treating sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and rare genetic neurodevelopment disorder. He also collaborated in programmes like one that showed surf therapy could help rangitahi at risk of a criminal future.

Professor Blampied has also worked with Māori academics to extend New Zealanders’ understanding of science.

Tania Anstiss, the Psychological Society’s president, says there can be few New Zealand psychologists who have not been influenced by Professor Blampied’s teaching and he is internationally renowned.

The society also honoured Dr Iain McCormick, who received the quadrennial Jamieson Award for his contribution to industrial and organisational psychology.

Dr McCormick’s works spans 40 years, starting in the Department of Justice, including several senior management roles overseas, and then private practice in New Zealand.

Dr McCormick developed the innovative application of Schemas-based work for coaching psychology and published a book on that this year.

Tania Anstiss says Dr McCormick has undertaken a wide range of unpaid work for years and during the COVID-19 lockdowns he provided pro bono coaching to the organizational psychology community.

The society presented three other awards at its annual meeting:

• Dr Agnes Szabo received the GV Goddard Early Career Research Award for extensive published research on environmental support for health and wellbeing, focusing on the critical role of secure and sustainable housing for older adults. That was followed by an influential paper on the role of information technology in promoting social connectedness and wellbeing among older adults.
• Cherry Reihana, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Auckland, received the Karahipi Tumuaki President’s Scholarship. She is exploring mate ikura roro (stroke) using kaupapa Māori methods of research to qualitatively examine Māori narratives and experiences post-stroke. The research is expected to reveal pathways of healing for Māori.
• Sharn Manga, a doctoral candidate at Massey University, received the Postgraduate Student Social Justice Research Scholarship. She is exploring ways to minimizing rangitahi involvement with the youth justice system. Her research proposes a Māori led approach with the potential to improve the life course of rangitahi within and beyond Māori communities.

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