Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

Associate Dean Maori, Faculty of Engineering, University fo Auckland.

Managing Director Mahi Maioro Professionals Engineering Consultancy.

BE, MBA , PhD(Auck), MIPENZ, CPEng, IntPE(NZ)

What do you do, career to date?

Within his twenty plus years of experience in environmental engineering, many as a Chartered Professional Engineer, Kepa has always adopted sustainable approaches to engineering solutions: this primarily as a result of his Ngati Pikiao, Te Arawa, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu and Waitaha iwi affilliations. Kepa renewed his association with the University of Auckland a decade ago to increase the participation rates of Maori and Pasifika students in engineering. His roles incorporate teaching and research associated with indigenous issues in engineering and his research has focused on the creation of an integrated decision making framework for sustainability, and the development of a new structural building material, UKU, fibre reinforced earth composite. During this time Kepa has also held various governance positions including Director State Owned Enterprise: Meridian Energy Limited (2002 – 2006) and inaugural president of SPPEEx 2003 - 2006.

Kepa has been recognised for his expertise during his career including; receiving the inaugural Housing Industry Association award for Sspecial contribution to Housing in NZ (1993), being chosen a finalist Young Engineer of the Year in all three years he entered, a University of Auckland Cultural Blue for Maori performing arts representing New Zealand with kapahaka Te Matarae I Orehu in 2000 and 2001, the Australasian Association of Engineering Educators Excellence in Inclusivity Award in 2005, and He Tohu Kairangi (Maori Academic Award) in 2009.

Projects of interest involved in:

Current focus is completing a textbook that introduces the Mauri Model Decision Making Framework; a decision support tool for indigenous contexts that integrates multi-criterion decision making techniques and the indigenous concept of mauri. The book is to be released in 2010 at the Poukai at Puna Whakareia marae on Lake Rotoiti, and at the Native Engineering and Technology Summit being held in Hawai`i. Kepa is also involved in organisation for NETS2010 as joint chair of the international committee and guest editor of a special edition of the journal AlterNative which will publish sixteen selected papers from the conference.

Kepa's role as Associate Dean leads the Faculty of Engineering initiatives associated with the five Rs for Maori and Pasifika students; Readiness, Recruitment, Retention, Research, and Role Modeling. The most recent achievements in this regard are the launch of Kaiako Pono; a mentoring programme for SPIES (South Pacific Indigenous Engineering Students) students by SPPEEx members, and Nga Hoa O Te Kupenga Rorohiko, a distance mentoring programme for Year 11 Maori and Pasifika secondary school students that creates mentoring relationships with Part II SPIES students in the Faculty of Engineering.

What do you enjoy best about your job?

It is satisfying to contribute to the academic and professional development of engineering students, sharing indigenous perspectives and improving student understanding of indigneous issues and the different worldviews that drive these challenges.

Why did you choose engineering?

Originally I wanted to fly jets, and Civil Engineering seemed to be a potential pathway to that goal. I have never flown a jet, but the career I have shaped around Indigenous Engineering and students has been just as exciting and rewarding as any other I could think of.

Why are you involved with SPPEEx?

SPPEEx is the natural progression for SPIES graduates, and was launched on the tenth anniversary of SPIES in 2003. In acknowledging the importance of the changes and improvements that SPPEEx could initiate within the engineering profession, I accepted the leadership role of president in the formative years. Once the seed was sown, I stepped back to allow the energies and enthusiasm of our many leaders to broaden the appeal and relevance of SPPEEx for the large cohort of recent Maori and Pasifika graduates.