High named a professor, while Snelling and Turei became associate professors
The University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka has recently announced 68 academic promotions in total, including three in the Faculty of Law: Anna High as a professor and Jeanne Snelling and Metiria Stanton Turei as associate professors.
According to the university’s news release, the recent round of promotions comprised 26 professors, five research professors, a clinical research professor, 33 associate professors, two research associate professors, and a clinical associate professor.
Grant Robertson, vice chancellor, congratulated everyone who has accepted promotions, which will take effect on 1 February 2026.
“Their success reflects the absolute commitment our kaimahi have to their respective fields and the hard work they have put in over many years,” Robertson said in the university’s news release. “We know each of them is making an impact in Aotearoa, and beyond, and I have no doubt they will continue to do so. I’m excited to see what comes next for each of them."
The university explained that its promotion process included an evaluation of the candidates’ contributions to research, teaching, and community service, as well as reflected input from international authorities.
High’s, Snelling’s, and Turei’s profiles on the university’s website provide more information regarding their professional experience, teaching areas, research interests, and honours.
Anna High has taught evidence law, jurisprudence, Chinese law, and gender and the law. Her research interests have included sexual violence and mindfulness pedagogy.
High has been a co-director of the Otago Centre for Law and Society and a co-founder and director of the Aotearoa New Zealand Mindfulness in Law Society.
She earned the following honours: the 2020 Asian Law and Society Association Distinguished Book Award, the 2022 Royal Society Early Career Research Excellence Award for Humanities, the 2023 national award for excellence in tertiary teaching (Te Whatu Kairangi), and the 2024 Rowheath Trust Award and Carl Smith Medal.
The American Council of Learned Societies, the Marsden Fund, and the New Zealand Law Foundation have helped finance High’s research.
Jeanne Snelling has taught law and medicine, an introduction to law and new technologies, criminal law, and law and the biosciences. Her research interests have covered health law and the regulation of biomedical technologies.
She is the Faculty of Law’s convenor of the master’s degree in bioethics and health law.
Metiria Stanton Turei has an interest in researching Mātāpono Ture o te Māori (Māori legal principles), Te Mātauranga Ture o te Māori (Māori jurisprudence), and Te Ariā ā-Ture o ngā Iwi Taketake (Indigenous legal theory).
She has been a social activist and a lawyer. According to her LinkedIn page, she worked as a solicitor at Simpson Grierson in Auckland from 1999–2001.
Turei was a member of Parliament for 15 years and a co-leader of the Green Party for nine years. She has been taking an MFA at Te Kura Matatini – Dunedin School of Art.
