Top lecturer's Cambodian poverty mission

Albany campus Lecturer of the Year 2010 Dr John Tan

Massey University
New Zealand

When he is not teaching leadership and contemporary management at the Albany campus, Dr John Tan spends holidays building wells in poverty-stricken Cambodian villages.

The part-time lecturer in the School of Management won the hearts of students for his inspiring lectures on leadership and sustainability and has been voted Lecturer of the Year by the Albany Students' Association.

Dr Tan likes to put his ideas and theories into practice by regularly travelling to Cambodia, where he works with a church-based team building wells to provide clean drinking water for villagers, so they can avoid polluted ponds.

He is going back this week for his 23rd trip since 1996. Each lasts about a fortnight and usually involves travelling with a local doctor and team of workers, distributing medical supplies and setting up sustainable projects. He is currently working on a plan to develop sustainable fish farms in villages near Siem Reap.

An invitation from friend doing voluntary aid work started it all. "I vowed I wouldn't go back, but I saw a need," Dr Tan says of the first visit. "Now, I feel it is privilege to go there, even if to bring about small changes."

Born in Malaysia, Dr Tan has a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Glasgow University, Scotland, an MBA from the University of Bath, England, a PhD from Massey. His thesis was on leadership succession.

He was surprised at being voted the most popular lecturer from 140 Albany academics nominated by students. "Quite frankly, I can be a bit strict. I demand a fair amount from my students, but I demand even more from myself. I see the students as my friends, as equals. If I can add value to what they are doing, that's what matters most. I always told myself that the day I wake up and don't want to go to class is the day I stop teaching."

Among a host of comments students wrote about Dr Tan was: "He is a lecturer that really can get the class interacting and involved with learning. His humour and real life examples can really keep the class both entertained and interested in the topics being taught, explains things clearly, enjoys a good debate, invites questions from the class, uses relevant examples from his own career."

Other awards went to Associate Professor Mike O'Brien (College of Humanities and Social Sciences), Dr Johan Potgieter (Sciences), Delize Delaney (Education), Associate Professor Erik Champion (Auckland School of Design), Trudy Lile (New Zealand School of Music), and Claire Alison Goode (Professional and Continuing Education).

At the Manawatu campus, students named Dr Angie Farrow overall Lecturer of the Year. Her nomination described her as “an amazing lecturer with a passion for education, friendship and drama" who "gives hope to those who strive for success and pushes for excellence through style and drive”.

Dr Farrow, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences' School of English and Media Studies, is a senior lecturer specialising in performance drama and public speaking.

Other recipients of the Massey University Students' Association Manawatu campus awards were niversity Sam Richardson (College of Business), Rhys Hill (College of Education), Keran Dittmer (College of Sciences).

The lecturer of the year awards started at Albany in 2005 and the Manawatu students also began their own awards last year. The Massey at Wellington Students Association is considering doing awards next year as well.