Myles Whittaker

Environmental Scientist/Climate Change Advisor, Beca, Tauranga
Master of Science in Environmental Science with Honours (First Class)

When the global pandemic forced him to rethink his career, Myles Whittaker took the opportunity to pursue his long-time passion for the environment and climate action.

“I studied psychology and media studies in Wellington, and then spent a few years working in Canada, and then in sales-related roles in travel and tertiary education back in New Zealand. I lost my job during the pandemic and was inspired to return to university to pursue a different direction. I had always been passionate about the environment, biodiversity and climate action, and I was looking to upskill in this space. I was confident that the Master of Science would help me step into this new career direction. “

He says his time at AUT was a process of reassuring his interests and discovering new passions within science.

“The science staff were very supportive, especially considering my slightly unconventional background, and inspired me to make a difference in the environmental space. I particularly enjoyed learning practical GIS skills with Graham Hinchliffe, who was also my dissertation supervisor; a topic I knew nothing about prior to the programme, as well as the range of other courses available, including disaster risk, global change, fisheries science and ecology.

“I enjoyed learning more about the cross-disciplinary nature of many fields, for example the overlap of ecological resilience and climate change, or disaster risk reduction approaches for climate hazards and public health hazards. As someone who struggled to fit their interests and skills within a single discipline, studying the disaster risk course with Professor Michael Petterson and Associate Professor Ailsa Holloway sparked my interest in international work within the climate and disaster risk space, as well as the benefit of transdisciplinary approaches and importance of collaboration for addressing challenges.”

From Istanbul to Tauranga
Since graduating from AUT in 2022, Myles has embraced his new career in environmental science and is proud of what he has already achieved.

“Following my studies, I landed an internship at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) based in Istanbul, working in climate change transparency involving international reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement. This then turned into a role in climate adaptation as part of the Adaptation Pipeline Accelerator initiative and National Adaptation Plans for developing countries. That was an amazing opportunity to meet climate and development professionals from all over the world, in a country I never imagined living in, and I was proud to represent New Zealand at the Istanbul Regional Hub; inaugurated by former PM Helen Clark in 2015.

“Prior to this and with some overlap, I also worked my way up as a national radio producer and presenter utilising my media and presenting background. With these roles back-to-back, I’m proud to have done well in both of these very different areas I’m passionate about.”

He now works as an environmental scientist and climate change advisor at Beca in Tauranga, and enjoys the positive impact he is making.

“For a long time I had been hoping to help tackle environmental-related challenges and build my technical, practical and on-the-ground expertise, which I’ve been able to do at Beca. I recently had the amazing opportunity to travel to the Cook Islands to conduct a climate vulnerability assessment and meet with local communities to identify and understand their key challenges regarding climate change across different sectors. This has been directly aligned with my previous work at the UNDP. I also love the opportunity to get out and work in the field for contaminated land and ecology site work in New Zealand.”

Advice for other students
Myles – who is proud of receiving the award for the top master’s degree thesis in the School of Science and of completing a Beyond AUT Award alongside his studies – has some great advice for other students.

“As someone who has spent their 20’s working in many different areas, my advice is to take your time exploring and trying things that interest you. You’ll naturally discover areas or fields that you’ll like to contribute to – but be intentional with what you do. You’ve got the rest of your life to work.”

Make the most of your time at university, he adds.

“Take up as many opportunities as you can, diversify your skills, make the most of your uni connections and enjoy the ride!”