Conversations with some of UoA’s eminent academics.
For us queers, keeping up with the media is a bit of crap-shoot. It’s either #prideweek and aggressive corporate rainbows are being shoved in our faces; or, someone in our community is getting assaulted, and our basic human rights are being called into question. I’m tired. So let’s do something different. Here at UoA, we have a thriving community of queers, and a lot of us are doing really cool things, like just existing.
Jan J. Eldridge is an astrophysicist and the current HOD of Physics at UoA. Their team works to understand the evolution of stars over the course of cosmic history.
Who was your childhood celebrity crush & why?
Madonna in the 90s. I didn’t realise it at the time but looking back I might have seen her as a role model for myself.
Favourite beverage?
Merlot. Funny story: when I was a post-doc in France I’d bought a bottle [of merlot] and the person in front of me asked if I was ill; apparently you drink merlot when you’re sick!
Favourite thing to do on the weekend?
Spend family time and play computer games (X-COM series, Star Wars space combat sims and Rally+F1 racing sims).
What university building would you be and why?
The University Library because I’m a great place to find an answer to many different questions.
If you could have any job (not your current role), what would it be?
A pro esports player.
What’s your hidden talent?
I’ve got a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done?
Jumped in the river Cam (Cambridge, UK) after the last exam in my 1st year of undergrad? It was so cold I couldn’t get out, so my friends had to drag me out.
Shiloh Groot (Ngāti Uenukukopako, Ngāti Pikiao) is an interdisciplinary social scientist in the School of Psychology at UoA who works in the domains of Indigenous worldviews and communities, resistance and resilience, sex work and radical commerce, and homelessness and precarity. Their research adopts a community-oriented and socially responsive approach to psychology that employs (visual) qualitative methodologies.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Fictional: Noelle Stevenson’s reimagining of Catra in the 2018-2020 series, she brought my queer fantasy to life. I would have killed for that growing up. The only thing missing was a deeper exploration of her Indigeneity. Also, Ellie in the PS4 game The Last of Us Part II; a mega-violent dystopian world riddled with fast-moving mutating zombies should not turn me on, but here we are.
Living: None really. The dynamic between Eve and Villanelle in Killing Eve was by far one of the most tantalising depictions of WLW to me and certainly piqued my interest in the actors. I’m struggling to think of any specific men and non-binary crushes, but I’ve certainly had them along the way.
I suppose there’s a bit of a pattern – I desire and admire women who are sometimes shunned or overlooked, since they represent aspects of life and being (dark) femme that people find uncomfortable. Sex, death, power and sovereignty, ferocity, and authenticity.
What are you most proud of?
When I was fresh out of my PhD, while navigating the highly insecure academic job market, I was involved in the redesign of facilities for housing homeless men in Tauranga. The research I co-produced established the need, scope, size, location, and services operating in Tauranga Moana. In a very small way, I have played a minor part in ensuring that every homeless man that walks through the doors of, what would become, Takitimu House seeking support and dignity – gets it.
“Kiss, marry, kill” – Anika Moa, Lucy Lawless, Tamati Coffey?
Kiss – Anika and Lucy (Xena fantasy anyone). Not into marriage. Tamati has yet to inspire murderous rage in me, so I’ll let him quietly slip away.
Favourite thing to do on the weekend?
Vegetate – I’m a homebody.
What university building would you be and why?
HSB – full of toxins and barely keeping it together.
What’s the most unexpected fact about yourself?
Not particularly wild but seeing as my discipline is located in the sciences it might raise eyebrows to know that I engage in tarot as a tool for self-reflection. It’s also useful as a visual qualitative researcher as it fosters creative, abductive thinking.
Caroline Blyth is a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts; their teaching is mostly around gender, sexuality and religion, and they are interested in representations of femme fatales and dangerous women in popular culture.
Who was your childhood crush?
I remember having a massive crush on Sabrina Duncan (played by Kate Jackson) who was one of the original Charlie’s Angels from the TV series. I liked her because she was a bit more of a tomboy, and she had a cute smile.
What is your biggest achievement?
Graduating with my PhD. I was a nerdy kid who always did her homework but never believed in myself.
What’s your favourite food?
Cheese toasties with a side order of potato wedges. Not very healthy, I know, but I can’t help myself.
What do you like to do on the weekend?
I like going for a walk along the beach while I listen to my favourite true crime podcasts. Then home, pour a glass of wine, and relax.
What university building would you be and why?
The Old Government House because I’m old and probably need a facelift, but I’m still quite charming.
If you could have any job (not your current role), what would it be?
When I was a kid, I loved reading Nancy Drew mysteries, and since then, I’ve always wanted to be a private detective. Failing that, I’d love to spend my time writing crime fiction.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I’d love to be able to teleport. That way I could visit my family in Scotland without the horrors of long-haul flights.
