Rate My Professor Janelle Te Raki

Janelle Te Raki serves as a Teaching Laboratory Technician in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago, located in the Marples Building at 340 Great King Street, Dunedin. In this technical role, she supports the delivery of practical teaching in zoology by preparing laboratory environments, managing equipment, and facilitating hands-on learning experiences for students studying animal evolution, behaviour, physiology, ecological interactions, and conservation. Her work contributes to the department's commitment to high-quality education in a field that addresses New Zealand's unique biodiversity and global environmental challenges.

Janelle Te Raki also holds the position of Kaiāwhina Māori for the Zoology department within the University of Otago Division of Sciences Kaiāwhina Network. This network consists of staff across science departments dedicated to supporting Māori tauira (students) in their academic journeys. Her responsibilities include providing tailored course advice, forging connections between students, academics, and paper coordinators, linking tauira to senior Māori students for mentorship, offering support for Māori development initiatives, and cultivating a welcoming, culturally responsive presence in the department. Additionally, as a member of Te Rōpū—the Zoology department's group focused on Te Ao Māori engagement—she participates in regular meetings to advance Māori initiatives, organizes events during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, facilitates student hui for feedback and community building, and contributed to the Whakawātea ceremony establishing the department's Whānau Room as a dedicated space for Māori students.