Bridgette Masters-Awatere
Bridgette Masters-Awatere is a New Zealand academic and practising psychologist, and is a full professor at the University of Waikato, specialising in Māori psychology and health.
Early life and education
Masters-Awatere affiliates to Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, and Ngai te Rangi iwi. She was educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School, where she was a member of the whānau group Ngā Tūmanako o Kahurangi. Masters-Awatere originally planned to study Māori language and art history, but after attending a lecture by Moana Jackson she became interested in psychology. Masters-Awatere trained as a community psychologist and worked in private practice before continuing her studies. Masters-Awatere completed a PhD titled "That's the price we pay": Kaupapa Māori Programme stakeholder experiences of external evaluation at the University of Waikato. Her research was supervised by Linda Waimarie Nikora and Neville Robertson.Academic career
Masters-Awatere joined the faculty of the University of Waikato, rising to full professor in 2024. Since 2019, she is Director of the Māori and Psychology Research Unit, and leads the only Board-accredited community psychology training programme for professional practice in New Zealand.Master-Awatere serves as the Director of Professional Development and Training for the New Zealand Psychological Society. She is part of the New Zealand Policy Research Institute's research team on Low Literacy & Numeracy, funded by an MBIE Endeavour Grant. Masters-Awatere also contributes to the Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga Centre of Research Excellence, which aims to use research to address real world challenges facing Māori. She is also a part of the Deep South, Te Kōmata o Te Tonga|Deep South] National Science Challenge, which is focused on understanding and adapting to climate change.
Masters-Awatere's research focuses on values-based research to address issues resulting from inequity in health and psychology. She has worked on the experiences of low-vision Māori during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the inclusion of Mātauranga Māori in literacy and numeracy education, and how health, wellbeing and the environment are connected.