Rate My Professor Anna Hoek-Sims

Anna Hoek-Sims serves as the Otago Global Exchange Adviser for Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Scandinavia in the University of Otago's International Office. Located in Room G06 of the Clocktower building in Dunedin, she provides expert guidance to students interested in outbound exchange programs to partner universities in her designated regions. Her responsibilities include assisting with exchange applications, program selection, and related queries. Students can reach her directly at +64 3 479 3192 or book appointments via the university's Outlook system.

Anna Hoek-Sims has contributed to research in public health, particularly tobacco control. In 2013, she co-authored the paper 'A qualitative exploration of young adult smokers’ responses to novel tobacco warnings,' published in the New Zealand Medical Journal (also appearing in BMC Public Health). Collaborating with Janet Hoek and Philip Gendall at the University of Otago, the study involved in-depth interviews with 17 young adult smokers. It examined perceptions of traditional health warnings versus novel ones depicting short-term health consequences, immediate social risks, and tobacco toxicity. Findings indicated that young adults often dismissed distal health risks as irrelevant, prioritizing smoking's immediate benefits. Warnings emphasizing proximal social risks proved most effective, as they disrupted rationalizations and altered the perceived balance of smoking's gains and losses. She contributed to data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation. Additional involvement includes work on dissuasive cigarette sticks noted in the ASPIRE 2025 annual report. Earlier, she received commendation in the 2018 Disability Information & Support newsletter for sustained involvement in staff training. As Retail Manager at the University Book Shop, she was named Emerging Bookseller of the Year in 2023. During her studies, she was awarded a Postgraduate Scholarship and Freemason Scholarship by the University of Otago.