Rate My Professor Michelle Walker

Dr. Michelle Walker is the Research Advisor and Business Development Manager for Research & Enterprise in Te Kete Aronui, the Division of Humanities at the University of Otago. In this role, she assists academics from the College of Education, Faculty of Law, School of Arts, School of Geography, Centre for Sustainability, School of Performing Arts, Te Tumu, National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, and the School of Social Sciences with external funding opportunities, including research and commercial ventures. She provides guidance on funding applications, contract processes, intellectual property management, and stakeholder relationships. Walker earned her PhD in History and Preventive and Social Medicine from the University of Otago in 2024, marking her fourth degree from the institution. Her earlier qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in History, and a Bachelor in Classical Performance (Voice).

Walker's doctoral research, detailed in her thesis “Aotearoa’s Postpartum Psychiatric ‘Problem’: Exploring New Zealand’s hidden ‘epidemic of suffering’, 1850-1980,” investigates the historical experiences of women with postpartum psychiatric illnesses in New Zealand. Utilizing interdisciplinary approaches from history and preventive medicine, she analyzed archival sources such as asylum records, Plunket Society documents, newspapers, and government reports spanning the 1920s to 1970s to uncover patterns of care, societal responses, and the enduring silence in public and family narratives. Her broader academic interests include public health, medicine, mental health, and music and choral histories. Notable publications comprise “New Zealand’s Karitāne Hospitals and Maternal Mental Health Care, 1907 to 1980” (Health and History, 2022), “Student View” (HERDSA Connect, 2021), “The Methodist Home Mission Party, On Stage in New Zealand, 1924-1934” (The Journal of New Zealand Studies, 2013), and “Singing Faith: A History of the Waiata M&bar;ori Choir, 1924-1938.” Prior projects include a history of the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club and the 50th Jubilee history of Dunstan High School. Complementing her scholarly work, Walker is a professional musician, performing with Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, and brings experience from business, arts, and community sectors to her advisory role.