Draft:Jemaima Tiatia-Siau

Jemaima Tiatia-Siau (*born in Tokoroa, New Zealand ) is a Samoan-New Zealand academic  and a leading researcher in Pacific studies and mental health. She is the first Pasifika woman to be pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Auckland (UoA; Māori: Waipapa Taumata Rau).

Early life and education
Jemaima Tiatia-Siau was born as the eldest in her immediate family in Tokoroa, New Zealand, and has spent the majority of her life in West Auckland. On her mother's side, she is the eldest grandchild and has her gafa (genealogy) in the Sāmoan villages of Tāga, Sālelologa, Vaimoso and Si'umu, Vaigaga and Fusi Safata. Her ancestry links her to the leader of the Mau Movement and she comes from a respected Sāmoan 'Aiga (family). Furthermore, she is of Tongan, English and French ancestry.

Tiatia-Siau attended Avondale College and pursued her higher education at the University of Auckland, earning her PhD in Community Health, DPH in Public Health, MA (Hons) in Education, and BA in Arts. Alongside her academic pursuits, Tiatia-Siau performed athletically as a provincial and national player in women's rugby league, basketball, touch rugby, tag, and waka ama.

Academic career
Currently, Jemaima Tiatia-Siau occupies a number of significant roles at the University of Auckland. She is a Professor in the Faculty of Arts, with a specialisation in Māori and Pacific Studies. Furthermore, she holds the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific at the University of Auckland (Waipapa Taumata Rau). Furthermore, she is the Co-Head and Associate Professor at Te Wānanga o Waipapa Taumata Rau, the School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies.

Degrees
Tiatia-Siau obtained her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in education from the University of Auckland on 1 May 1995. She then proceeded to complete her Master of Arts (MA) Honours in Education, with her thesis published as a book titled "Caught between Cultures" (1998). The book offers a critical examination of the conflict of how the traditional role of the church impacted the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of young Pacific Islanders. It addresses uncomfortable and enduring realities within Pacific communities as well as broader systemic injustices. She completed her master's degree on 5 May 1997. The subject of her master's thesis prompted her to pursue further research in that area. However, at the time there was no specialist in suicide studies within the Faculty of Arts which necessitated her transition from the Faculty of Arts to the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. This entailed pursuing a Diploma in Public Health. She began the Diploma in Public Health (DPH) on 3 January 2000 and completed it on 29 December the same year. She was subsequently awarded a PhD in Community Health, with a focus on suicide prevention among youth, funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, from the University of Auckland on 3 May 2004.

Academic positions
Tiatia-Siau's career at the University of Auckland has been shaped by a series of academic and administrative roles. Throughout her career, she has consistently contributed to the University of Auckland, impacting the fields of Māori and Pacific Studies.

She began her career as a Health Research Council Pacific Health Post-doctoral Research Fellow from 1 February 2011 to 3 February 2014 at the department of Pacific Studies of the University of Auckland. After this fellowship, she became a Research Fellow in Pacific Studies from 3 March 2014 to 30 November 2014. She then took on the role of Project Manager in Pacific Studies from 31 December 2014 to 31 March 2015.

She progressed her academic career by becoming a Lecturer in Pacific Studies from 5 March 2015 to 21 November 2016, and then a Lecturer in Pacific Health from 23 November 2015 to 19 April 2017. Tiatia-Siau was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Pacific Studies on 19 April 2017, a position she holds to date.

From October 16, 2017, to December 31, 2018, she served as the Co-Head of School and the Acting Head of Pacific Studies at Te Wānanga o Waipapa, School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies. In this role, she took over from Professor Damon Salesa, who later became the Vice-Chancellor of Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Since 1 January 2019 to the present, there she is the Co-Head of School and Head of Pacific Studies.

In 2022, Jemaima Tiatia-Siau was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland making her the first Pasifika woman to hold this position. As Pro-Vice-Chancellor, she is responsible for diversity and inclusion and is committed to improving academic and social support for Pasifika students.

At the University, Jemaima Tiatia-Siau also serves as a PhD/Doctoral Accredited Supervisor, providing guidance to graduate students.

Certifications
From 16 October 2012 to 17 March 2015, Jemaima Tiatia-Siau participated in the Future Research Leaders Programme at the University of Auckland. This programme, developed in collaboration with the Group of Eight Australian Universities and adapted by the University of Auckland, provided participants with essential skills and knowledge in various aspects of research leadership. Through the programme, Tiatia-Siau received comprehensive training in financial management, grant management, business planning, commercialisation and technology transfer, corporate governance, and research strategy and planning.

Non-academic positions
From 16 May 2014 to 31 March 2016, Tiatia-Siau was a member in the New Zealand Suicide Mortality Review Committee at the Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand. From 12 January 2015 to 31 March 2015, alongside her research fellowship, she managed a project for Uniservices Limited in the field of Pacific Studies.

In 2018, she also was one of six panellists at the New Zealand Government's 2018 Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction.

In February 2021, she joined the board of the inaugural Mental Health and Well-being Commission. Recently, in July 2023, her term as a board member came to an end.

Research
The focus of her main research interests lays in suicide prevention, health inequities, Pacific Studies and youth development. Jemaima Tiatia-Siau has published widely on mental health, suicide prevention and social justice.

Her research conducts include a Health Research Council-funded project, which she is leading, investigating the link between climate change and mental well-being in the Pacific region. Tiatia-Siau's commitment to tackling pressing social issues has led her to launch research initiatives, including two major projects to interview people who have attempted suicide.

The first project focused on young people of Samoan descent and the second on 22 Samoan adults who had accessed mental health services. Through her research, Tiatia-Siau promotes open communication within families and communities as a key strategy for suicide prevention. She has also developed suicide prevention resources and guidelines in collaboration with grassroots communities, survivors of suicide victims, professionals and youth, and emphasises the importance of culturally relevant knowledge translation and community consultation in her research.

Personal life
In her personal life, Tiatia-Siau is open about her homosexuality and considers it an important aspect of her identity. She faced challenges regarding her sexuality, which led her to the realisation of the importance of being her authentic self. She describes her leadership style as 'fearless and respectful', influenced by her family's strength and courage.

Selected publications

 * Tiatia-Seath, S. (1998). Caught between cultures: a New Zealand-born Pacific Island perspective. Christian Research Association.
 * Tiatia, J. (2012). Commentary on 'cultural diversity across the Pacific': Samoan cultural constructs of emotion, New Zealand-born Samoan youth suicidal behaviours, and culturally competent human services. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 6(2), 75-79.
 * Tiatia-Seath, S. (2008). Pacific cultural competencies: A literature review. New Zealand Ministry of Health.
 * Teevale, T., Lee, A. C. L., Tiatia-Seath, J., Clark, T. C., Denny, S., Bullen, P., ... & Peiris-John, R. J. (2016). Risk and protective factors for suicidal behaviors among Pacific youth in New Zealand. Crisis.
 * Marsters, C., & Tiatia-Seath, J. (2019). Young Pacific male rugby players' perceptions and experiences of mental wellbeing. Sports, 7(4), 83.
 * Fleming, T., Tiatia-Seath, J., Peiris-John, R., Sutcliffe, K., Archer, D., Bavin, L., ... & Clark, T. (2020). Youth19 Rangatahi Smart Survey, initial findings: Hauora hinengaro/emotional and mental health. The Youth19 Research Group, The University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.