Professor Sir Mason Durie grew up in Feilding and later attended Te Aute College. In 1958 he entered the University of Otago, completing the MBChB degree in 1963. He subsequently undertook postgraduate studies in Psychiatry at McGill University before being appointed Director of Psychiatry at Palmerston North Hospital. After serving on the Royal Commission on Social Policy in 1988 he accepted a Chair in Māori Studies at Massey University where he established a pioneering Māori health research centre. In 2002 he became Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Māori) retaining an academic role as Professor of Māori Research and Development. In 2010 was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Otago University in 2008, and in 2010 was knighted for services to public health and Māori health. Sir Mason is actively involved in a wide range of community, family, iwi, education and health initiatives and leads the Whānau Ora Governance Group. He is the Principal Investigator on the NPM project - Fostering te pā harakeke: Advancing Healthy and Prosperous Families of Mana