researchED New Zealand
May 2026
Hosted by Long Bay College
In partnership with the New Zealand Initiative
Distinguished Professor Pamela Snow is Co-Director of the Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab in the School of Education at La Trobe University. Her research focuses on language, literacy, and learning. She advocates for evidence-based reading instruction and bridges research, policy, and practice to improve educational outcomes for all children, by promoting high teacher knowledge.
Penny Braid Penny is Head of English at Ballarat Clarendon College. She has led teams and taught English in the earliest years of schooling through to VCE. Penny champions explicit
Dr Greg Ashman is originally from the UK where he taught in government schools for thirteen years before moving to Ballarat, Australia with his young family. After securing a job
Rozanne Donald is Associate Principal at Rutherford College. She has 25 years’ experience as an educator and senior leader in the tertiary and secondary sectors. In 2019 she was awarded
Tom Bennett is the UK Department for Education’s School Behaviour advisor. He is also the founder of researchED, an international research advocacy non-profit for educators that seeks to raise research
Rozanne Donald is Associate Principal at Rutherford College. She has 25 years’ experience as an educator and senior leader in the tertiary and secondary sectors. In 2019 she was awarded
Brigid McNeill is a Professor of Education and Dean of Postgraduate Research at the University of Canterbury. She is an internationally recognised researcher in literacy education, with a focus on
Distinguished Professor Pamela Snow is Co-Director of the Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab in the School of Education at La Trobe University. Her research focuses on language, literacy,
Penny Braid Penny is Head of English at Ballarat Clarendon College. She has led teams and taught English in the earliest years of schooling through to VCE. Penny champions explicit
Nilesh Naran is the Assistant Principal of Teaching & Learning at Wellington College where he has taught for over a decade. He is also a former student of the school,
Lauren is a Deputy Principal at Long Bay College, and a co-developer of the Colleges approach to Teaching and Learning: Tino Akoranga. Lauren oversees professional learning at the college where
James Chapman is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Massey University. He received his M.A. with Distinction in Education from Victoria University of Wellington, and his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
Nina is the founder of The Education Hub, a not-for-profit with a mission to bridge the gap between research and practice in education, and co-founder of The Teachers’ Institute, which
Dr Michael Johnston has been a Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative since early 2022. He has published numerous reports for the Initiative, on topics including modern learning environments,
