Founding Members & Steering Committee (2024-2027)

Dr. Maria Cristina G. Bautista worked with a children’s charity in New Zealand for five years as its programme coordinator for Africa.  A trained economist, she completed degrees in London (MSc and PhD) and the Philippines (MA, AB). Her career brought her to live and work across the globe as an international development specialist, notably in Pakistan, Cambodia, Kenya and Fiji, usually with regional remit, for employers such as WHO, USAID, AusAID. ▶️ 

Dr. Sarah Jane D. Lipura is a transnational and multilingual researcher-practitioner, passionate in bridging research and practice through transformative community engagement. Sarah obtained her doctoral degree in Asian Studies from the University of Auckland (UoA), where she was recipient of the University Doctoral Scholarship, Faculty of Arts Research Grant, and Universitas 21 Mobility Scholarship. ▶️

Dr. Harold Aquino holds a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Massey University School of Built Environment and serves as a Professional Teaching Fellow specializing in Disaster Management and Resilience at the University of Auckland. Prior to this, he was an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman and was director of the university’s Building Research Centre. ▶️

Joeven R. Castro, a PhD candidate in Communication at the University of Auckland, researches on Filipino teachers’ intermediary functions in crisis communication during COVID-19. Before his PhD study leave, he was Vice President for Academic Services at Far Eastern University Manila, leading transformative student experience programmes. ▶️

Dr. Eunice Faustino Gaerlan is a Senior Lecturer in AUT’s School of Education and leads their Master and Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning programmes. Eunice is passionate about supporting pre-service teachers in their journey to becoming registered teachers in Aotearoa. ▶️

Dr. Maileenita Peñalba is the current chairperson of the Department of Economics and Political Science at the University of the Philippines Baguio. She holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Auckland. Her dissertation is focused on building a grounded theory of citizen competence informed by indigenous knowledge and experience. ▶️

Louise Anne M. Salas is a PhD candidate in Art History at the University of Auckland. Her research titled Women Movement Dwelling explores the works of Filipina and wāhine Māori visual artists, 1970-2000. Louise is a faculty member (on study leave) of the Department of Art Studies, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. ▶️