Bruce Gemmell – Chancellor 

BBS (Massey), CA

First joined

20 August 2013

Current Term

12 July 2023 – 11 July 2027

Bruce Gemmell joined the Lincoln University Council in August 2013 and became Pro-Chancellor in May 2018. He has also been a member of the University of Canterbury Council.  

A chartered accountant and former senior partner at international accounting firm EY, Bruce now works as a professional director, holding positions with Planz Consultants Limited, Orion New Zealand Limited, the Highlanders rugby franchise, Miramar Consolidated Limited, Central Plains Water Limited and Lincoln Agritech Limited. He owns and operates a private finance company. He is also board advisor to Ticket Direct, and Lincoln Agritech Limited. 

Bruce was appointed Chancellor of Lincoln University in January 2019. 

Emeritus Professor James McWha – Pro-Chancellor 

AO, BSc, BAgr(Hons) (Queen's University of Belfast), PhD (Glasgow), PhD ad eundum gradum (Adelaide), DSc honoris causa (Massey), DUniv honoris causa (Adelaide)

Current Term

24 July 2021 – 24 July 2025 

Professor James McWha has an esteemed career in the tertiary education sector. He began his university journey studying botany at Queen’s University Belfast in the early 1970s.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Agriculture (with honours in Agricultural Botany) before going on to receive his PhD from Glasgow University.

His first foray into teaching was as a lecturer in the Department of Botany at Canterbury University, followed by a term as Head of the Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences.

In 1985, Professor McWha returned to Northern Ireland to take up a joint appointment as Professor and Head of Agricultural Botany at Queen's University Belfast, and Deputy Chief Scientific Officer in the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture.

New Zealand soon came calling again and in 1989 he returned, this time to Wellington, to take up the role as Director of DSIR Fruit and Trees in the Department of Science and Industrial Research.

In 1992, he became the foundation Chief Executive of HortResearch, the Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand. Education, however, was never far from Professor McWha’s radar and in 1996, he was appointed Vice‐Chancellor and President of Massey University. He held this position until 2002, when he moved to the same role at the University of Adelaide.

After 17 years leading established universities, Professor McWha took up the challenge of founding the University of Rwanda in 2013. He held the role of Vice‐Chancellor until his retirement in 2015.

Professor McWha was Secretary General of the International Association of University Presidents from 2002 to 2005 and also the honorary treasurer and executive committee member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities from 2007 to 2017. 

In 2003, he received the Australian Centenary Medal for services to education and in 2011, he was made an honorary officer of the Order for Australia.

Massey University has also acknowledged his outstanding contribution to their institution and advocacy for the New Zealand education system, awarding him with a Doctor of Science in 2004.  

James Parsons - Council Member (Alumnus)

Dip Farm Mgmnt (Linc)

Current Term

1 March 2023 – 28 February 2027

James Parsons has extensive agribusiness and rural sector leadership experience. His Northland family business, Hard Hill Country Genetics, breeds and provides sheep and Angus beef genetics to clients throughout New Zealand.

As an experienced director James chairs Wools of New Zealand and is a director for OSPRI – charged with managing NAIT, the national cattle and deer traceability system, and TB Free a national disease and pest management programme. He is a former chair of Beef+Lamb New Zealand and the New Zealand Meat Board. And a board member of AgFirst Northland where he also provides farm systems advice to farm businesses.

James has held directorships in economic development, the veterinary and electricity sectors. His governance skills are complemented by strong ability in strategic and stakeholder management, government and media relations, and he brings practical farmer perspectives to governance decisions.

James’ career is underpinned by a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, awarded in 2008, and academic success at Lincoln University where he was the Gold Medallist (1999) and awarded the Diploma in Farm Management with Distinction. 

Professor Grant Edwards

BAgrSci (Hons) (Lincoln) DPhil (Oxford)

Vice-Chancellor

Current Term

1 January 2022 – 31 December 2026

He then held research and teaching positions at AgResearch and Imperial College London, before returning to Lincoln University in 2005, first as a senior lecturer in pasture science, before moving to the position of Professor of Dairy Production in 2009. He was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor from 2019 to 2021 and began his appointment as Vice-Chancellor in 2022.

Professor Edwards’ research interests are in the profitability and environmental performance of dairy farming systems. At Lincoln University, he has been instrumental in the activation of a farm portfolio to support a continuum of activities from component research through to farm systems and demonstration.

David Jensen - Ministerial Appointment 

BAgr, Dip Agri Sc

Current Term

8 September 2021 – 7 September 2025

David resides in the Bay of Plenty and owns and operates dairy, kiwifruit, forestry and avocado businesses around the Tauranga district.

David is graduate of Massey University with a Agri Degree as well as a Post-Grad Diploma in farm management.

Prior to going farming David with a dairy farm Consultant in Canterbury and the Waikato.

He has a wide governance background in the primary sector having held roles with Farmlands, Livestock Improvement, Satara, Eastpack Co-op, Figured, and chairs a wide range of MyFarm Limited Partnerships.

David is Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Janice Fredric - Ministerial appointment

BCom (Cant), MBA (Dist) (Massey), CA, CFInstD

Current Term

8 September 2021 – 7 September 2025

Janice Fredric was appointed as a University Council member in 2017 by the Minister and currently chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and the Capital Asset Committee.  

An experienced chair and professional director with over 20 years of governance experience, she has a broad portfolio of directorships with experience in commercial, Crown and not-for-profit sectors. 

Janice has held senior executive positions in professional services and finance and banking sectors internationally.   

She is currently Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Aviation Security Service, a director of NIWA, Mainpower NZ Limited and Unity Credit Union, an independent member of the Timaru District Council Audit and Risk Committee, and a trustee of the NZ Shipwreck Welfare Trust. 

Previous directorships include Maritime New Zealand, Credit Union South, Hurunui Tourism, NZ Family Planning, University of Canterbury Foundation, Duncan Cotterill Lawyers and YHA NZ. 

Janice is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors.  

Gabrielle Thompson - Ministerial appointment

BVSc (Massey)

Current Term

18 June 2020 – 17 June 2024 

Graduating from Massey University with a veterinary degree in 2000, Gabrielle developed her own companion animal clinic in 2004. 

She grew this to five clinics around the lower South Island over a 10-year period before selling to a nationwide company.

Together with her husband and their family, Gabrielle owns and operates a 530 ha arable and store lamb farm at Dorie, Mid Canterbury. She has also owned an artisan bread company, with products sold through supermarkets nationwide. 

Gabrielle is a chartered member of the Institute of Directors. In addition to this, she is a director of rural supplies company Rural Co and the first board-appointed Farmer Director for Silver Fern Farms Co-operative. 

Dr Marjan van den Belt - Ministerial appointment

Msc (Eramus), Grad Cert (Maryland), PhD (Maryland)

Current Term

26 February 2020 – 25 February 2024

Dr Marjan van den Belt has a life-long passion for ecological sustainability, social and cultural fairness and innovative economic solutions.

This is reflected in a unique combination of academic qualifications, inter/trans-disciplinary research, and management and governance experience.

As a strategic partner with Terra Moana Ltd, she seeks to serve communities of people and organisations who critically engage with a vision for a regenerative society through enterprise, board positions, facilitation, analysis and synthesis.

Formerly, she held the positions of Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) at Victoria University of Wellington, and the Director of Ecological Economics Research New Zealand (EERNZ) at Massey University.

She was appointed to the Treasury’s Tax Working Group in 2019 and has been a Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (Impact) Assessor.

She is currently a member of Wellington City Council’s Sustainable Food Community Working Group.

Previously on the Sustainable Business Council, and currently a member of the Pool of Experts of the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment, she has held seven board membership positions, been an advisor to seven boards and served on seven national and international strategic working groups or expert panels.  

Elizabeth (Liz) Hill-Taiaroa - Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu appointment 

BA degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (UC)

He Papa Tikanga, He Tikanga Whakaaro, and Te Reo Māori qualifications from Te Wananga o Aotearoa. 

Current Term

16 March 2023 – 15 March  2027

Ko Nuku Mania tōku maunga

Ko Rakaia tōku awa

Ko Uruao tōku waka

Ko Ngāi Tahu tōku iwi

Ko Ngāi te Ruahikihiki raua Ngai Tūāhuriri ōku hapū

Ko Ngāti Moki tōku marae

No Taumutu ahau

Ko Teihoka raua Brown ōku whānau ingoa

Ko Liz Hill-Taiaroa ahau

Liz Hill-Taiaroa was appointed the representative of Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu on the Lincoln University Council by the unanimous decision of Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Kāhui Kahukura.

Liz brings strong educational and Te Ao Māori perspectives to the Council through secondary school teaching in Canterbury, with senior and leadership positions at Kaiapoi High School and St Andrew’s College, over the years 2006-2022. Liz actively participates in Te Taumutu Rūnanga, living the experience of Tikanga Māori and her whakapapa roots in the takiwā within which Lincoln University stands.

Liz is the Kaihautū- General Manager of Kōia te Mātauraka, a jointly owned rūnanga company delivering on Te Rautaki Mātauranga- the Ngāi Tahu Education Strategy- and working with schools and leadership teams to build relevant resources to support developments in the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum. Kōia te Mātauraka supports mana whenua within the takiwā of the seven stakeholders in their educational aspirations and enables ECE, primary and secondary schools to access culturally relevant source material. Liz is Oranga Portfolio leader for Te Taumutu Rūnanga, engaging in hauora initiatives across health, education, justice and futures. Liz is also in her second term as Secretary on the Te Taumutu Rūnanga Executive and has worked within this team to drive structural change to meet the evolving needs of whānui within the takiwā.

Her governance and management experience includes over twenty years in roles as board member, treasurer and secretary (current) of Te Taumutu Runanga; University of Canterbury Ngai Tahu advisory panel member; University of Canterbury TEC panel Ngai Tahu representative; St Albans Community Pre-school Board Chair; Hornby High School Board of Trustees, Te Taumutu Runanga representative; and St Andrew’s College ISEA Representative and Secretary.

Professor Derrick Moot - Academic Staff appointment

B.AG.Sci (Hons) (Canterbury), PhD (Lincoln)

Current Term

29 May 2022 - 28 May 2026

Professor Derrick Moot has previously served as the staff representative on the Lincoln University Alumni Association executive. He is a graduate of the University and was appointed as a lecturer in 1995.

He is a National Tertiary Teaching Award winner (2004) and was appointed a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science in 2015.

He has received numerous awards in recognition of his services to the sheep and beef industry including the Ray Brougham Award from the New Zealand Grassland Trust in 2016.

Professor Moot takes an evidence based approach to his teaching of diploma, degree and postgraduate students and has a strong rural extension presence, particularly among sheep and beef farmers.

He leads the Dryland Pastures Research programme which has been creating farm systems that are resilient to climate change for over 25 years. Its work has instrumental in the transformation of rain-fed farms across New Zealand, Australia and South America. It was awarded the NZIAHS significant achievement award for services to sheep and beef farmers in 2021.

Professor Moot has published more than 300 peer reviewed science papers, supervised more than 100 postgraduate students and managed more than 20 externally funded research projects.

His current research includes a farmlet comparison of conventional and regenerative grazing practices, assessment of pasture systems for the “Hill Country Futures programme” and development on the AgYields database of crop and pasture yields hosted by Lincoln University.

Michelle Ash - General Staff appointment

NZIM Diploma in Management

Current Term

28 March 2023 – 22 March 2027

Michelle Ash joined Lincoln University in 2000 and is presently the Head of the Career Centre. She works closely with students, graduates and staff, fostering strong relationships with industry partners to ensure Lincoln University’s students and graduates leverage their employability to successfully transition into employment and further study.

In addition to this position, she holds leadership and governance roles on the Lincoln University Campus Service Council, and University Careers & Employability New Zealand, and is a longstanding member and Strategy & Governance Lead for the NZUni Talent Consortium.

Demetrio Cooper  - Student appointment

BA Environmental Management

Current Term

1 December 2023 – 30 November 2024

Demetrio is the Lincoln University Students' Association President for 2024.