New head of social sciences
The new Head of School for AUT's School of Social Sciences and Public Policy is to be Professor Tim Maloney.
The Professor of Economics will start in the position on July 1, and says he is excited about the opportunity.
"Over the past nine years as Head of Economics I tried to expand the reach of my own discipline across our University," he says.
"I want to do something similar with this even-more-diverse collection of academic disciplines which can inform policy development and make an impact, both in New Zealand and around the world."
Maloney is also Co-Director of the Centre for Social Data Analytics (CSDA), which has recently transferred to the school.
Making the social sciences at AUT a great place to study and work is paramount, he says, as is adequately preparing its students for the emerging opportunities in this changing world.
"Everything we do is all about growing the reputation of our school. We want to contribute positively to both our academic communities and wider society.
"A key component to this is making better use of data analytics in a world where big data is going to transform almost everything that we do."
Maloney was the Head of AUT's School of Economics from 2010 through to 2018, and is specialised in labour economics, applied econometrics and public policy.
He has been Chief Economist at the Ministry of Social Development since November 2017.
Maloney also recently completed a project for the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC on their internal pay and promotion process.
He is working on research projects with CSDA colleagues in Pennsylvania, California, Colorado and Chile, using linked administrative data for predictive risk analysis.
Faculty of Culture and Society Dean, Professor Pare Keiha, has been Acting Head of the School of Social Sciences and Public Policy since the departure of Professor Judy McGregor from the position late last year.