Erin Kennedy

Erin joined the marine and environmental teaching team at Toi Ohomai in 2017. She teaches across all three years of the diploma/degree course, mainly in the areas of geology, terrestrial ecology, waste management and the regulatory environment. 

Prior to coming to Toi Ohomai, she was teaching biology courses at the University of Auckland and enjoys working with and helping students to achieve their academic goals.

"Toi Ohomai is an amazing place to work as there is a strong focus on teaching and we’re able to provide a great learner-centered education. An added bonus is all the amazing field trips we get to go on!" Erin says.

She completed a bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees through the University of Auckland. Her master’s research involved assessing the movement ecology of possums to try and provide information to help better control these pests. 

For her doctoral research, she used GPS devices to track kea so she could explore how they interact with humans, with the aim of helping to reduce human-kea conflict. She's also combined her love of traveling and the environment by taking on internships in Oregon and Alaska to research grassland breeding birds and seabirds.

Her main research interests are animal behaviour, ecology and conservation. 

Outside of work, Erin enjoys exploring all the delights that the Bay of Plenty region has to offer. She is also a quiz enthusiast, film buff and a keen traveller who is always planning the next big trip.