533 days ago

Otago Uni head steps down following health battle

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Dunedin News

The University of Otago vice-chancellor is stepping down

Professor David Murdoch, who has battled ill-health, will take a position as a distinguished professor at the university’s Christchurch campus.

“I am deeply thankful for all the support I received while I was ill recently.”

He had made a full recovery, but that had led to he and his wife “to reflect on our future direction”.

“This led to the difficult decision to take up new opportunities and to undertake a different pathway at this time.”

Murdoch would also take up opportunities with the University of Oxford.

Chancellor Stephen Higgs thanked him for his contributions to Otago University during his time as cice-chancellor.

“David is one of New Zealand’s foremost experts in infectious diseases and we are delighted that he will be able to continue to contribute to this important field and others in his capacity as Distinguished Professor.”

Murdoch was appointed to the position of vice-chancellor at the start of February 2022.

Deputy vice-chancellor Professor Helen Nicholson would continue in the role of acting vice-chancellor until a permanent replacement was found.

Nicholson had fronted media after it was revealed the tertiary institution was facing a $60 million deficit, with the potential loss of hundreds of jobs.

Meanwhile, a global search process would be undertaken to find a permanent replacement.

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More messages from your neighbours
15 days ago

What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.

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4 days ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

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9 hours ago

Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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