Meet Our Team

Iresh Lal is a Fijian professional with ancestral links to India, born in Rakiraki and raised in Ba province. Multilingual and deeply respectful of Pacific cultures, he is dedicated to advancing human development and capability building through education and research. 

He possesses extensive experience leading development initiatives across Fiji and the broader region with the United Nations Development Programme and the International Labour Organization. His background encompasses strategic planning, budgeting, partnership development, and grant management across thematic areas including disaster risk management, civic education, local governance, disability inclusion, and enterprise development. 

In the higher education sector, Iresh has managed strategic partnerships and donor funding at the University of the South Pacific (Manager Development Cooperation) and the University of Auckland (Research Grants and Contracts Manager), delivering multi-campus agreements for key international partners, including Australia, New Zealand, the EU, and Japan. 

Currently, as Pacific Strategy Manager at the University of Waikato, Iresh leads the Pacific Strategic Plan. He oversees programme delivery, supports Pacific student success, and provides strategic counsel to senior leadership. 

Iresh holds a BA in Sociology and Literature & Language and a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Policy Administration from the University of the South Pacific, alongside an MBA from the University of Fiji. A collaborative leader, he brings strong analytical, communication, and negotiation skills rooted in deep respect for local and cultural contexts. 

Hennah is originally from the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Through her mother, Hennah is connected to the mountainous people of the Faiyantina area, Henganofi District, and through her father, she identifies with the peace-loving people of Korofeigu in the low-lying plains of Bena Unggai District. 

The name of the Taki Ako role has been gifted by our Tongan community. The name refers to a teacher of teachers, in this case, a teacher and researcher who will support Pacific learners and various teachers to improve Pacific learner success. 

The Taki Ako looks after cultural legacy-based learner success and leadership initiatives, namely the Calling the Island (opens in a new tab), Challenge the Horizon (opens in a new tab) and Cultural Capability programmes. Hennah is our lead on first-year Support Coordination, and she works closely with other service providers and the Library to develop culturally responsive programmes in teaching and learning. 

The Taki Ako also works closely with and supervises the Palu Navigators (opens in a new tab) for Tauranga campus and Excellence, Success & Higher Degrees.  

Read more about Hennah's leadership, teaching, and research experience on her staff profile. 

Monica, born in American Samoa and from the village of Fagaʻitua, is proud of her Samoan, Tokelauan, and Wallisian heritage, which deeply shapes her commitment to Pacific strategy and student success. 

Her cultural identity grounds her dedication to creating inclusive environments where Pacific learners feel seen, valued, and empowered. With a Bachelor of Communication Studies and a Master of Management Studies, she brings strong capability in strategic outreach, cultural engagement, and leadership. Monica is committed to walking alongside Pacific tauira as they navigate university life, fostering a strong sense of belonging and connection.  

As the Support Coordinator for all re-entry Pacific tauira on the Hamilton campus, Monica walks alongside students as they navigate their university journey. Through strong relationships with tauira, families, and communities, she helps ensure Pacific students are connected to the support, opportunities, and guidance they need to thrive. 

The title Dau ni Talitali – Pacific Engagement Manager was gifted by the Fijian community. Dau ni Talitali means master weaver, reflecting Monica’s role in weaving people, relationships, and communities together. 

Read more about Monica’s leadership, teaching, and research experience on her staff profile.  

Born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, Nina is of Tongan and Polish heritage, with ancestral ties to the villages of Nakolo and Pangaimotu in Ha'apai, and Feletoa in Vava'u. 

Nina's undergraduate studies had a sports science focus, before she moved into a Master's exploring Pacific experiences of rural health. The findings from this Master's research contributed to the evidence base while the school was still in its proposal stages, and have since fed into early conversations around curriculum development for the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine (NZGSM), the University of Waikato's new graduate-entry medical school. 

At the start of her PhD, Nina was seconded to the Ministry of Health, where she contributed to the Pacific Health Chartbook and worked closely with the Ministry's Pacific Health team, sharing her Pacific rural health findings to support their wider work. 

Nina recently submitted her PhD thesis in Health Sciences at the University of Waikato, where her research examined a continuous glucose monitoring and kaiāwhina (health support worker) intervention for Tongan adults living with Type 2 diabetes. Central to this work is the Ma'ala Framework, a Tongan plantation-based research methodology she developed, grounded in the principles of vā (relational space), talanoa (dialogue), anga fakaTonga (Tongan ways of being), and 'ofa (love, compassion). Beyond its role as a research methodology, the Ma'ala Framework also offers a model of care for healthcare professionals, providing a culturally grounded approach to working alongside Pacific and Tongan communities in clinical and community health settings. 

Outside of her academic work, Nina is part of the team behind Mo'ui Lelei Inc, a community fitness initiative, where she leads the biweekly bootcamp and weekly youth sports sessions.