The University of Waikato is mourning the passing of Dr Geoff Lealand, a member of the University’s Te Kura Toi School of Arts.
Dr Geoff Lealand
Geoff joined the University of Waikato in 1992 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2003. He was the Chair of Film and Television Studies in the late 1990s and from 2017 was a Research Associate in the School of Arts’ Screen and Media Studies programme.
His research interests ranged across many aspects of film, television and media, particularly around audiences, culture and identity, journalism and New Zealand content. He also maintained a personal website dedicated to New Zealand’s cinemas.
Geoff was a well known film and television commentator and in addition to his teaching and research often wrote for general audiences as a contributor to publications including The Listener. He was also sought after for professional advice and research on behalf of organisations within the film and television industry.
Some of his most recent research was on the use of New Zealand audio and visual content in schools, which he completed for New Zealand on Air and which reflected his ongoing interest in the teaching of Media Studies in secondary schools.
The University has expressed its condolences to Geoff’s family, colleagues and friends.
