November

We were very honoured to host Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles for an afternoon of conversation at the University lecture theatre. Dr Wiles has won numerous awards for her research and science communication efforts, in 2019 she was appointed a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to microbiology and science communication. Siouxsie was named as one of the BBC’s 100 influential women of 2020 and Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year for 2021.

Siouxsie chose to share her reasons for entering into the debate about Covid-19 and how she thought she should use her knowledge and expertise to help inform people about the disease, its potential for harm and the ways we could minimise its spread.  She also revealed some of the reactions she experienced because of her communications in various media. It was very confronting and saddening to hear that fellow New Zealanders had subjected an expert in her field to abusive emails and telephone messages, posted her home address online with details about her family, and sent threats of death and sexual abuse. Siouxsie showed us that she is a very courageous and determined person with a great deal of knowledge to share, which she intends to continue doing.