Mei Kuin Lai Editor & Author

Viviane is a Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and Academic Director of its Centre for Educational Leadership. Her research identifying the impact of different types of leadership on student outcomes (Student- Centered Leadership) has been used to shape leadership policy and practice in Scandinavia, England, Singapore, Chile, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She has received numerous awards from national and international professional and academic organisations including the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, the New Zealand Secondary Principals Association and the US-based University Council on Educational Administration. In 2011, she was made a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association for sustained excellence in educational research.  In 2016 the Royal Society of New Zealand awarded her the Mason Durie Medal for her international contributions to educational leadership research and practice. She currently leads a research and development programme on the leadership knowledge and skills involved in school improvement. To learn more visit her website at www.education.auckland.ac.nz/vmj-robinson Mei Kuin Lai completed her doctorate at the University of Auckland and has since worked as an education con­sultant to support practitioners (teachers, principals, administrators) and Ministry of Education officials as they develop inquiry as part of their daily lives. Her cur­rent role at the Faculty of Education at the University of Auckland involves bringing the research and practice worlds together by supporting practitioners and educa­tion consultants in embedding inquiry into their current roles and by developing collaborative researcher-practitioner projects that improve teaching and learning. She has had extensive experience in training prac­titioners, particularly those involved in Ministry of Education School Improvement Initiatives, to effectively analyze and use data on student learning to improve school practices. Her work encompasses a variety of school settings across New Zealand, from multicultural urban settings to small rural communities. She is currently in charge of developing a train­ing program for education consultants (School Support Services Facilitators) at the Faculty of Education to develop inquiry as part of their roles.