Distinguished New Zealand Geographer: Professor James Anthony (Tony) Binns
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Geo-News Society awards 2012 In 2012, the New Zealand Geographical Society (NZGS), in recognition of their signifi- cant contributions to the discipline, awarded Professor Tony Binns with the Distinguished New Zealand Geographer Award, while the Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr Paul Keown and Jane Evans. In addition, an Honorary Life Membership Award was made to June Logie. Extracts from their citations follow. Other awards made were the President’s Award for Best Doctoral Thesis, which was shared by Dr Alastair Clement from Massey University and Dr Phil Bartie from the Univer- sity of Canterbury. The President’s Award for Best Masters Thesis wants Anne-Marie Eliza- beth Snider from Victoria University of Wel- lington. Etienne Nel Department of Geography University of Otago Distinguished New Zealand Geographer: Professor James Anthony (Tony) Binns Professor Tony Binns (Fig. 1) is one of the most internationally distinguished geographers cur- rently working in New Zealand. Over a long and productive career, he has made an exem- plary contribution to geography at the tertiary and the secondary levels in New Zealand, the UK and internationally. He has recently com- pleted terms as the President of the NZGS (2010–2011), the President of the Common- wealth Geographical Bureau (2008–2012) and has previously served as the President of the Geographical Association in the UK. His disci- plinary contribution has been exemplary, helping to promote geography at schools and universities, and he played a key role in ensur- ing that the subject is retained within the sec- ondary school curriculum in the UK. He is an enthusiastic, popular and well-liked teacher, and has received teaching awards at the Uni- versities of Sussex and Otago. In sum,Tony has made a significant contribution to all facets of the discipline of geography both in New Zealand and abroad. Tony holds a BA Hons from Sheffield, and an MA and PhD from Birmingham. He spent a year as a school teacher in Doncaster before joining the staff at the University of Sussex in 1975 where he was Reader in Geography from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, he was appointed to the prestigious position of the Ron Lister Chair of Geography at the University of Otago. His research career has focused on a range of key developmental themes primarily as they relate to Africa, including desertification, the human- environment interface and community-based development, and another important thread has been in geographical education. Tony has published 14 edited or authored books, including Geographies of Development (1999), Issues in Geography Teaching (2000) and African Diversity and Development (2012). Figure 1 Professor Tony Binns. New Zealand Geographer (2013) 69, 63–65 doi: 10.1111/nzg.12004 © 2013 The Authors New Zealand Geographer © 2013 New Zealand Geographical Society
Transcript of Distinguished New Zealand Geographer: Professor James Anthony (Tony) Binns
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Society awards 2012
In 2012, the New Zealand GeographicalSociety (NZGS), in recognition of their signifi-cant contributions to the discipline, awardedProfessor Tony Binns with the DistinguishedNew Zealand Geographer Award, while theDistinguished Service Award was presented toDr Paul Keown and Jane Evans. In addition, anHonorary Life Membership Award was madeto June Logie. Extracts from their citationsfollow.
Other awards made were the President’sAward for Best Doctoral Thesis, which wasshared by Dr Alastair Clement from MasseyUniversity and Dr Phil Bartie from the Univer-sity of Canterbury. The President’s Award forBest Masters Thesis wants Anne-Marie Eliza-beth Snider from Victoria University of Wel-lington.
Etienne NelDepartment of Geography
University of Otago
Distinguished New ZealandGeographer: Professor James
Anthony (Tony) Binns
Professor Tony Binns (Fig. 1) is one of the mostinternationally distinguished geographers cur-rently working in New Zealand. Over a longand productive career, he has made an exem-plary contribution to geography at the tertiaryand the secondary levels in New Zealand, theUK and internationally. He has recently com-pleted terms as the President of the NZGS(2010–2011), the President of the Common-wealth Geographical Bureau (2008–2012) andhas previously served as the President of theGeographical Association in the UK. His disci-plinary contribution has been exemplary,helping to promote geography at schools anduniversities, and he played a key role in ensur-ing that the subject is retained within the sec-ondary school curriculum in the UK. He is anenthusiastic, popular and well-liked teacher,and has received teaching awards at the Uni-
versities of Sussex and Otago. In sum, Tony hasmade a significant contribution to all facets ofthe discipline of geography both in NewZealand and abroad.
Tony holds a BA Hons from Sheffield, and anMA and PhD from Birmingham. He spent ayear as a school teacher in Doncaster beforejoining the staff at the University of Sussex in1975 where he was Reader in Geography from2000 to 2004. In 2004, he was appointed to theprestigious position of the Ron Lister Chair ofGeography at the University of Otago. Hisresearch career has focused on a range of keydevelopmental themes primarily as they relateto Africa, including desertification, the human-environment interface and community-baseddevelopment, and another important threadhas been in geographical education.
Tony has published 14 edited or authoredbooks, including Geographies of Development(1999), Issues in Geography Teaching (2000)and African Diversity and Development (2012).
Figure 1 Professor Tony Binns.
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New Zealand Geographer (2013) 69, 63–65 doi: 10.1111/nzg.12004
© 2013 The AuthorsNew Zealand Geographer © 2013 New Zealand Geographical Society
He has also published 36 book chapters, 98peer-reviewed papers, and numerous reports,book reviews and conference proceedings. Hecurrently serves as the editor for the RoutledgePerspectives on Development book series.
Tony has served as a consultant for tertiaryeducational organisations, publishers and gov-ernment departments in this country, GreatBritain and across Africa, and is a member ofthe editorial boards of five academic journals.In New Zealand, he has made a significant con-tribution to international community develop-ment and student advancement through theestablishment and promotion of the Univolprogramme in collaboration with VolunteerService Abroad and New Zealand Interna-tional Aid & Development Programme.
Guil FigginsOtago Branch of the NZGS
Department of GeographyUniversity of Otago
Distinguished Service Award:Dr Paul Ashley Keown
Paul completed his initial tertiary study inGeography at the University of Canterbury inthe 1960s, followed by teaching certificationthrough the Christchurch Training College in1970. Early postings in 1971–1974 includedwork in Nelson in environmental education.
Paul arrived in Waikato in 1975, with anappointment to lead the teaching of geographyin the prestigious Hillcrest High School. Fromthe outset, the quality of his work in the localgeographical community was appreciated, andhe forged research links with the Universitythrough the use of innovative approaches toclassroom teaching of geography. He has pub-lished in geographical education, social studies,the processes of professional development,environmental education, curriculum andassessment, and values education. Paul initiallytook up a position at the University of Waikatoin the Faculty of Education in 1980, returningfull time in 1988. As a key member of the teamworking with the training of teachers in socialstudies and geography, Paul has played a role indeveloping a strong sense of the relevance andimportance of geography and social studies inthe classroom.
As a representative of the views of geogra-phy teachers, Paul has always contributed. Ini-tially, this is recorded in service as the WaikatoRegional representative on the Board of Geog-raphy Teachers. This was followed by a role inthe production of the definitive Syllabus forSchools: Geography Forms 5–7 (LearningMedia 1990) and then significantly with theNew Zealand Board of Geography Teachers(NZBoGT) position paper Possible directionsfor a New Zealand geography programme for16 to 19 year-olds for 2001 and beyond: a back-ground paper in 1999. Those of us who workedwith this publication recognise the importantunderpinning it provided for both the processesand outcomes of the curriculum debate as seenin the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum.
In 2004, his interest in working with groups ofteachers led to his registration in a PhD thatproduced a highly regarded thesis in 2009. Thetitle of the thesis was A virtual community ofpractice approach to teacher professional devel-opment and learning. The thesis provided aplatform for the most significant recent contri-bution Paul has made. Paul has been a long-serving member of the Branch Committee, buthis value to the national community has alsobeen appreciated. Paul is held in high regard bythe Ministry of Education (MOE); he hascarried out contract research for the Ministry,and because he chose to leave the University ofWaikato, his consultancy has been based onapplied educational research in social sciencesfor the ministry. Paul’s approachability andcommitment to geographical education throughthe Waikato Branch and NZBoGT has beenoutstanding over 40 years.
Lex ChalmersWaikato Branch of the NZGS
Department of GeographyUniversity of Waikato
Distinguished Service Award:Jane Evans
Jane Evans has been a member of the AucklandGeographyTeachersAssociation (AGTA) since1998 and was Chairperson for 6 years from 2004to 2010. During that time, her contribution togeography teaching has been profound. Shehas presented at numerous teacher workshops
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sharing her expertise selflessly with themembers of the AGTA. She has been a spokes-person for the AGTA and has worked closelywith both the New Zealand QualificationsAuthority and the MOE on curriculum mattersin the field of geography. After an absence of 2years from the Committee, she has again, in2012, given of her time to share with members.
Jane’s contributions to geography compriselong-standing teaching experience (1981–2012),as well as leadership. Jane was Head ofDepartment of Social Sciences at TakapunaGrammar School from 2002 to 2012. She waspivotal in the initial development of theRotorua Education Network, co-opted on toNZBoGT to help with the skills list develop-ment, developed ideas for AGTA/NZGS andAuckland University scholarship workshopsfor students, and established monthly newslet-ters for geography teachers across the country.Jane has been heavily involved in professionaldevelopment facilitation by leading workshopsfor both students and staff, and in advisoryroles of different kinds, as well as served as arepresentative in different roles, such as theorganising committee for SocCon 2007, and asAGTA representative for International Geo-graphical Union in 2006. Jane also served asmarker for university bursary and National Cer-tificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)external examinations, and has been involved inwriting and publication tasks for NCEA andother geography education publications.
Jean McCannAuckland Geography Teachers Association
(AGTA)
Honorary Life Membership Award:June Logie
June Logie is a long-standing member of theSociety and participated in the AucklandBranch activities for many years while ateacher at Auckland Girls Grammar. Sheserved as the Auckland Branch representativeon the Board of Geography Teachers on a
number of occasions. In 2003, following retire-ment from teaching, June underpinned theorganisation of the very successful biennialconference in Auckland.
When the Society’s Head Office moved toAuckland, she was appointed as ExecutiveManager and held that position from 2004 until2011. Through this period, the Society’s HeadOffice functions and related services have beenin June’s capable, firm and reassuring hands.AsExecutive Manager, she was integral to theactivities of the Society and played a pivotalrole in its life.
An abbreviated list of June’s substantial andspecial contributions must include managingthe transition of the Head Office from Waikatoto Auckland; undertaking liaison and supportfor the NZBoGT through the annual cycle ofits activities; organising the regional rounds andnational finale of the Maatangi Whenua Level11 competition; preparation and publication ofthe Network and Newsletter, which detailactivities of interest to schools and individualmembers; coordinating the operation of theGeography Resource Centre; assisting with thepublication of the New Zealand Journal ofGeography and comanaging the transition tonew publisher Wiley-Blackwell; managing theSociety’s website; establishing a managementteam for the Extractive Industry’s TrainingOrganisation resource kit development andproduction; organising geography conferences;and serving tirelessly for many years on theAGTA and the executive of the AucklandBranch of the NZGS.
For several years, June was Vice President ofthe Society, and her experience in the widergeographical community was invaluable inliaising between the core constituent groupswithin the Society. June’s service to geographyin the broadest sense has had the qualities ofconviction, outreach and optimism, and a deepcommitment to the discipline.
Nicholas Lewis and David HaywardAuckland Branch of the NZGS
School of the EnvironmentThe University of Auckland
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