Director, Financial Education and Research Centre, Massey University
Pushpa Wood is the Director of the Westpac Massey Financial Education and Research Centre at Massey University. Dr Wood was appointed as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List for 2016 for her services to financial literacy and interfaith relations. She is the first person in the country and the first Indian women in the country to be awarded such an honour for services to interfaith relations and financial literacy.
Pushpa is regarded as a pioneer in starting Hindi language teaching to adults and interfaith movement in NZ. She has been acting as an expert witness for the crown in the area of Indian culture, customs and beliefs for over three decades.
Dr Wood has extensive experience in developing teaching and learning resources, training and development, strategic planning and stakeholder relationship.
Her research interests include financial behaviour; women empowerment, culturally appropriate responses to violence at home, interfaith issues and Indian religions and languages.