Mema o Te Apārangi | Member profile: Kristie Cameron
In this month’s Member profile, we hear from Kristie Cameron, who is one of three co-chairs on the Committee for the Society’s Early Career Researcher (ECR) Forum.
Tell us about your day job and research interests
I am an Associate Professor at Unitec in the School of Environmental and Animal Sciences. I teach animal husbandry, behaviour and welfare to undergraduate students, and I teach research methods in the new Master's of Applied Science. My research interests include using behavioural economic models to measure animal behaviour and applying these findings to improving husbandry and welfare in companion animals. I also have grand plans to use my PhD research of possums’ food preferences to develop additional tools for pest management.
How long have you been a member of Royal Society Te Apārangi and what has your involvement been?
I joined as a member of the ECR committee in 2020 and was selected as a co-chair in 2024. I have been involved in He Pito Mata (our ECR wananga) in 2021 and 2023 and have facilitated webinars that are designed to inform ECRs of options for the development of their careers; we have had webinars about transitioning roles and how to persevere in the grant system. As we move forward in this changing science system, we are planning to deliver webinars to give ECRs some ideas for navigating and succeeding in the research sector.
Can you tell us about the ECR Forum?
The Royal Society Te Apārangi Early Career Researcher (ECR) Forum is a group of researchers within about ten years of achieving their PhD. We have members from universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs), industry training organisations (ITOs), and private and Crown Research Institutes (PTOs & CRIs). The forum fosters a collaborative, communicative, and respected community to engage and enhance opportunities for ECRs in Aotearoa New Zealand.
What has been a defining highlight of your career?
There have been multiple highlights, but I think one of my proudest moments was when I earned the title Associate Professor in 2023. I felt recognised for my hard work as an ECR maintaining research programmes, grant applications and also teaching, at the same time as raising my young family.
What do you love about science?
What I love about my science is the impact new strategies for improving animal welfare can have to help smaller populations of animals. I am working on the science that could support a Code of Welfare being developed for guinea pigs in New Zealand.
When not working, I enjoy...
Spending time with my family and pets. I also enjoy crafting and doing crochet.