Our tutors are the heart of Toi Ohomai and whānaungatanga is part of everything we do here. As students of Toi Ohomai, you’ll feel a sense of family, of welcome.
Our friendly learning spaces and smaller class sizes will give you confidence as you gain new skills that will lead you into the future, and our tutors will be there for you every step of the way.
Your success is what we’re all about!
Ruth is a Senior Academic Staff Member in the Master of Applied Professional Studies (MAPS) team, teaching in the Adult Teaching and Mentoring and Leadership strands.
She has a background in secondary school English teaching, EdTech, information literacy, embedding literacy into programme teaching, and in supporting learners with… Read full profile
Matt teaches Research Protocols and leads the dissertation programme within the Master of Applied Professional Studies. His work focuses on supporting postgraduate students to conduct rigorous research and develop the skills needed to contribute meaningful knowledge in their fields.
Matt holds a PhD in Sport Science from Massey… Read full profile
Paddy has been part of the Environmental Management teaching team since 2002 and teaches the Biological Surveying courses, and also advises students on their research projects.
Paddy has many years experience carrying out various ecological and field surveys in New Zealand, including for the Department of Conservation, Regional… Read full profile
Elena joined Toi Ohomai in 2021 and teaches across a range of subjects, including freshwater ecology, waste management, terrestrial invertebrates, and research design and methodology. She enjoys helping students connect theory with real-world practice, particularly during field-based learning and student research projects.
Elena holds a… Read full profile
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Academic Staff Member, Nick Ririnui, is a music educator with over 20 years’ experience teaching musical performance and production, drumming and percussion.
Nick joined our institute in 2013, and currently teaches subjects within our New Zealand Diploma in Music (Level 5) and New Zealand Certificate of… Read full profile
Francisco De Abreu Roldao holds a Bachelor's and Master's in Computer Science and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology from the University of Auckland. He has extensive experience in the IT industry, including his current role as an IT Applications Manager.
Francisco's speciality is mentoring students in Project Management and… Read full profile
Bruce Tuhakaraina is a passionate educator with over eight years’ experience teaching software and web development at tertiary level. Bruce specialises in fostering student engagement through innovative, practical learning experiences. His expertise includes teaching Levels 3 to 7 in programming and web development.
With a Bachelor of… Read full profile
At Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Quinton Bidois (Ngai Te Rangi, Ngāti Tapu and Ngati- Ranginui Pirirakau) teaches Visual Arts - one of the three majors offered as part of our Bachelor of Creative Industries degree.
Born and raised in Tauranga Moana, Quinton is a highly-respected figure in the local arts community, and is… Read full profile
Swapping the boardroom for greener pastures
After growing up on a farm and building a career in advertising, Mel Paton’s love for the outdoors and a desire to help her son’s eczema led her back to her roots.
Mel grew up in Rāhui Pōkeka (Huntly), and her attraction to the advertising industry was to turn boring,… Read full profile
Riley mainly teaches the graphic design courses at Toi Ohomai and specialises in teaching techniques and design skills for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. He finds this very rewarding and looks forward to meeting students and helping them to reach their creative goals.
Riley is also a bit of an all-rounder and has taught many different… Read full profile
