People
The Institute has a strong membership of over 70 research experts spanning across six research groups. Together they produce research which is relevant to policy makers in business, government and the community.
Key contacts
Gail Pacheco
Director
Email: gail.pacheco@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 – ext: 5708
Gail Pacheco is a Professor in the Economics Department at AUT, and Director of the NZ Work Research Institute. She has considerable experience leading funded projects involving both academic and industry collaborations (with for instance the Department of Labour, the Blind Foundation, Careers NZ, United Nations Women, and Coca-Cola Amatil NZ). She is an applied empirical and labour economist and her key research expertise lies in applying econometric methodology to the emerging areas of labour and health research. Her current research agenda is in line with AUT’s multidisciplinary and applied philosophy.
Jarrod Haar
Deputy Director
Email: jarrod.haar@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 – ext: 5034
Jarrod Haar is a Professor of Human Resource Management in the Department of Management and has tribal affiliations of Ngati Maniapoto and Ngati Mahuta. Jarrod is a Research Fellow of the Australia & New Zealand Academy of Management, an Associate Fellow of the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ) and won the inaugural HRINZ HR Researcher of the Year Award in 2016. In April 2016, he became the Deputy Director of the NZ Work Research Institute. His research approach spans broadly across a wide range of management topics, but with a strong focus on Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour.
Mary Hedges
Research Developer
Email: mary.hedges@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 – ext: 8546
Mary has a PhD in Economics from the University of Queensland and works in the areas of labour economics, behavioural economics and life-course econometric modelling. She answers real-world questions about individual choice in the areas of education and health, using tailor-made analytical tools and keen economic reasoning.
Mary has over twenty years’ experience in academia. She brings to the Institute a wealth of experience working collaboratively with academia, industry, government and community agencies. Her focus is on translational research and managing projects to achieve practical outcomes, meeting the needs of the diverse interest groups involved.
Kabir Dasgupta
Research Fellow
Email: kabir.dasgupta@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 – ext: 5583
Kabir's research interests include Health and Labour Economics, Applied Econometrics and Policy Analysis. His previous studies have looked at the effectiveness of important US-based social policies and family-specific characteristics on child and youth mental health and behavioural outcomes. Kabir is currently working on the Transients project, commissioned by SUPERU.
Christopher Erwin
Research Fellow
Email: christopher.erwin@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 – ext: 5044
Christopher's research interests include the economics of education, labour economics, and more generally applied microeconomics. His previous studies have included econometric work on measuring achievement gaps in higher education and how certain financial aid policies may distort student decision-making. He is currently working on several papers at the intersection of education and labour markets.
Alexander Plum
Research Fellow
Email: alexander.plum@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 – ext: 5383
Alex's research interests include Labour Economics and social welfare. His previous studies have looked at the social implications of low wages and the employment prospects of the unemployed.
Tamara Tesolin
Office Manager
Email: tamara.tesolin@aut.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 – ext: 5056
Tamara looks after the day to day running of the institute. Her work days are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.