Lincoln University honours outstanding award recipients at 2026 graduation

Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University is recognising the outstanding contributions, both here and internationally, of alumni and those closely associated with the university at this year’s graduation, being held on 8 May 2026.

The awards, including honorary degrees, medals and the Ngāti Moki Trophy, were confirmed by the Lincoln University Council before the close of 2025. They recognise the outstanding achievements of recipients who work across a broad spectrum of areas, including delivering new pathways for young people to agriculture, advancing soil science and horticulture, conservation, sustainable irrigation management and Māori agriculture.  

Dr John Charles Bright, a Lincoln alumnus and former staff member, was awarded an honorary doctorate in Natural Resources. Dr Bright has achieved national and international distinction as a leader in water-resource engineering and sustainable irrigation management. Over a career spanning more than 45 years, he has combined scientific research, applied modelling and consulting expertise to influence how New Zealand manages groundwater and surface-water systems. He is recognised for pioneering work in developing tools such as IRRICAD, a world-leading irrigation design software and IrriCalc, which has become a standard framework for regional-council irrigation assessment. Through Aqualinc Research Ltd, Dr Bright has led large-scale water-management initiatives that bridge scientific rigour with practical, community-based solutions.

Robert (Bob) Crowder was awarded an honorary doctorate in Science for his contribution to organic horticulture in New Zealand, having established horticultural science and the Horticultural Research Area (HRA) at Lincoln University in the 1960s, followed by the Biological Husbandry Unit (BHU) within the HRA in the 1970s. The BHU is now the only organic research and educational site at a tertiary institution in New Zealand, and many of the production techniques Bob pioneered are now widely used in mainstream cropping systems. 

Bob played a leading role in developing BioGro, an organic certification company. He was also an important contributor to Australian organics through his support for the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia, and he brought Pacific organics to the attention of the (then) Europe-focused International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM), serving as a Director on the World Board for a decade. In 1994, he brought the IFOAM conference and General Assembly to Lincoln, putting Lincoln University and New Zealand organics on the world stage.  

Kerry Allen received Lincoln University’s oldest-established medal, the Bledisloe Medal, in recognition of her highly regarded 30-year career developing agri-education in secondary schools. Through this work, she has encouraged many young people to pursue academic and vocational pathways in agriculture and horticulture through education and training. 

Kerry graduated from Lincoln University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Through her work and collaboration with the University, she has strengthened Lincoln’s educational pathway by supporting students to higher learning in the land-based sector. 

To support her goal of establishing agribusiness and expanding agricultural and horticultural science programmes in secondary schools, Kerry set up advisory groups to advance primary industries in education through Agribusiness in Schools and Sow the Seed. As Secretary and Treasurer of the Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association, Kerry was instrumental in securing funding for Sow the Seed to promote and enhance agricultural and horticultural science education nationwide. As a result, the subject associations of Agribusiness in Schools and the Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association nationwide now assist over 400 secondary/area schools and 600 teachers.

Roger McLenaghen received the Chancellor’s Medal for his expertise on New Zealand soils and his advocacy for the protection of versatile soils, especially in the Selwyn District. He is a current Lincoln University staff member, having worked in the Department of Soil and Physical Sciences for 51 years. Roger earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Agricultural Science (PG Dip. Ap. Sc.) in 1990 and, during his tenure, was promoted to Senior Tutor, a role he still holds. Roger has received awards from Lincoln University for teaching excellence and community service. 
Roger served on the council of the New Zealand Society for Soil Science (NZSSS) from 2006 to 2018. He continues to conduct research and publish papers, and he has presented papers and posters at numerous soil science conferences. 

Awarded the Global Science Medal, Emeritus Professor Ian Spellerberg is recognised for his influential work in nature conservation and sustainability. His academic career began in Canterbury, followed by a PhD studentship in Australia and a Humboldt fellowship before heading to England, where he continued to develop his passion for ecology and conservation. Upon returning to New Zealand, he pursued a career grounded in an interdisciplinary approach to environmental management and sustainable development at Lincoln University.

In 1993, he accepted the position of Director of the Centre for Resource Management (CRM) at Lincoln and the following year, became Professor of Nature Conservation. From 2002 to 2012, Professor Spellerberg was Director of the Isaac Centre for Nature Conservation. He helped co-establish the Joint Master of International Nature Conservation degree between Lincoln and Göttingen University, and the Joint Master of Natural Resources Management and Ecological Engineering between Lincoln and Boku University, Austria.

Emeritus Professor Spellerberg has had numerous articles and books published, ranging from prestigious journal articles to substantial reference books (20 published works). His collective body of work has an H-index of 17 and has attracted 2,665 citations.  

The Lincoln University Alumni International Medal was awarded to Roland van Asch, an International Development Consultant whose work has had a positive economic and technical impact on the lives of rural people in 18 countries across Asia and the Pacific, through more sustainable land-use practices, improved family incomes and the creation of new opportunities for targeted communities. He is also recognised for his work in rural livelihood development, through the enhanced sustainability of production systems and stronger, more effective environmental protection – particularly in sustainable forest land management. This was well demonstrated in Roland’s environmental forestry work on the Qinghai Plateau in China, for which he was officially recognised by the Government of China. 

Roland's work has included assignments for major international development agencies and banks, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP - 5), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD - 3), and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO - 4). His ability to lead multidisciplinary and multinational teams across many cultural and geographic environments is widely recognised and valued.  

Robert (Bob) Cottrell received the Ngāti Moki Trophy for his work and leadership in iwi and hapū, Māori agriculture and commercial agriculture. He traces his ancestry to Ngāti Whatumamoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Ahuriri, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngai Tūhourangi and Ngāti Awa. 

Bob studied at Lincoln University, completing Diplomas in Agriculture and Valuation and Farm Management. Over the years, he continued his involvement with the University, hosting Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) students to share insights into large-scale Māori farming and ownership structures and mentoring the joint Lincoln and Ngāi Tahu Farming programme, Growing Māori leadership in Agriculture. 

After studying at Lincoln, Bob worked in farm finance, where he observed disparities in access to farm finance for Māori agriculture. He voluntarily worked with the Tapuaetahi Incorporation to secure better financing for farm development before going farming in Taupo in 1981. He then utilised his skills and networks to encourage a greater focus on Māori economic development with local Māori entities while working as Trustee and Farm Supervisor at Te Awahohonu Forest Trust, where he was instrumental in improving the business's profitability. Bob’s leadership roles are numerous, including serving on the Executive Board of the Federation of Māori Authorities (FoMA), an appointed member on the Land Access Ministerial Reference Group, Former Chairman on the Ahuwhenua Trophy Maori Farming Awards Committee, Director and current Chairman of Awhina Management Ltd, member of Ngā Pouwhiro Taimatua (Māori Primary Industry Leadership Group) and former Director of Ngā Pou a Tāne. 

For media enquiries, please contact media@lincoln.ac.nz   

Main image: Bledisloe Medal recipient Kerry Allen.