Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku (Te Arawa, Tūhoe, Ngāpuhi, Waikato) is the first female Māori Emeritus Professor from a university, with degrees from the University of Auckland and University of Waikato. An Emeritus Professor, she has worked as a curator, lecturer, critic, researcher and governor in the heritage and university sectors. She is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and a Fellow of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. She has returned to the pā, and serves on the Paepae Tapu o Ngāti Whakaue. She loves cats and chocolate.