Rate My Professor Kerrie Harford

Kerrie Harford serves as Operations Lead and Lead Administrator at the University of Otago, Wellington campus, operating within the Division of Health Sciences. She provides critical operational and human resources support to both the Department of Public Health and the Department of Psychological Medicine. Her responsibilities include managing administrative functions essential for departmental activities, teaching programs, and staff coordination. Appointed as a new staff member around 2020, Kerrie Harford joined the client services team in Psychological Medicine, where she was mentored by senior administrators Kristy Wilson and Maria Fitzmaurice. She quickly became integral to the team's efforts, contributing to the department's resilience during disruptions.

In the Department of Psychological Medicine, Kerrie Harford handles administration for the sixth-year psychological medicine attachment for medical students, convened by Dr. Paul Skirrow, as well as registrar training programs including Critical Appraisal, Stage I, Stage II, Stage III education courses, and the National Psychiatry Leadership and Management Course. During 2021, amid COVID-19 restrictions and a seismic building closure, she was recognized alongside her team as the backbone of the department for enabling continued operations. For her exceptional support to trainee interns and staff, Kerrie Harford received the University of Otago Wellington Manaakitanga Award. She also supports events such as the Public Health Summer School and engages in departmental social activities, utilizing her culinary skills for functions like the registrar end-of-year gathering and Christmas events, while participating in team-building initiatives including the 2020 Dragon Boat Festival and community bake sales. In Public Health, she serves as a primary operations contact.