Rate My Professor Andrew Lonie

Andrew Lonie is recognized for his significant contributions to graduate research administration at the University of Otago, where he held the position of Manager at the Graduate Research School. In this role, he offered comprehensive support to doctoral students and thesis masters' candidates, as well as their academic supervisors. His responsibilities encompassed managing the PhD admissions process, organizing and overseeing various projects and events tailored to the needs of thesis candidates, and providing direct assistance for queries and concerns from the graduate research community. Lonie was actively involved in high-profile activities such as the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where University of Otago participants secured awards at national levels in 2021. He also played a key part in administering scholarships, including the University of Otago China Scholarship Council Doctoral Scholarship, and supported innovative responses to global challenges, notably enabling more than 100 PhD candidates to begin their studies overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2022. Additionally, he contributed to the Graduate Research Student Liaison Committee, promoting effective dialogue between students and administration.

Transitioning to his current position, Andrew Lonie now serves as Manager of the Ageing Well National Science Challenge (AWNSC), a program hosted by the Department of Anatomy at the University of Otago. His robust academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Mathematics from the University of Otago, completed between 1991 and 1994, alongside studies in English Literature and Languages at the same institution. In 1996, he was honored with the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Lonie subsequently pursued further education in Geographic Information Systems at Massey University. His diverse professional background features early career stints at Consumer magazine and Terralink, followed by roles in public service with the Department of Conservation and as Recreation Planning Officer at the Dunedin City Council from 2013 to 2015. Committed to community and environmental causes, Lonie currently acts as a Trustee for the Landscape Connections Trust, which administers the Halo Project dedicated to achieving predator-free status and ecosystem restoration in areas north and west of Dunedin City. He has also previously served on the Board of Trustees at Logan Park High School.