Leali’ifano Dr Albert L Refiti awarded a Museum Medal
The Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum Medals recognise excellence and innovation in the study of our cultural and natural heritage. The 2021 recipients have made major contributions to their areas of study and the creation of new knowledge, or in service to the Museum.
“Auckland Museum is a kaitiaki for taonga and rich encyclopaedic collections. Research underpins everything we do” says Chief Executive of Auckland Museum Dr David Gaimster. “Our research strategy is built on a 165-year foundational legacy of collections, research, scholarship and innovation. Central to our research are our collections and our internationally recognised curatorial expertise. And as society seeks to understand and respond to challenges facing our world, we communicate our scientific research widely, inspiring interest in the world around us and informing decision-makers, making important contributions to society and the environment.”
The presentation event held at the museum welcomed Professor Toeolesulusulu Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland University of Technology, as the esteemed guest speaker.
Pacific Cooperation Foundation congratulates Leali’ifano Dr Albert L Refiti, recipient of the Fellow of Auckland War Memorial Museum. Born and raised in Fasito’outa, Samoa he holds the matai ancestral title Leali’ifano from Vaovai.
A University of Auckland graduate of architecture, Albert has worked on designs in the cultural sector in Auckland and London. He was part of the design team for the Auckland Museum refurbishment in 1994/1995 and has been an expert consultant to the Museum on design for Pacific material culture since 1999.
He is a research leader in the Pacific spatial and architectural environment with extensive research and publication in the area, supported by his teaching and lecturing over the last 15 years. Albert has lectured in design, and the history of art and architecture and related fields at the University of Auckland School of Architecture, Unitec School of Architecture and Manukau School of Visual Arts. He is currently an Associate Professor of Art and Design at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Albert was Andrew W Mellon’s Senior Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (2019/2020), where he researched the design developments for the new galleries of the Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas. He is co-principal investigator of two Marsden Grants research projects – Vā Moana: space and relationality in Pacific thought and identity (2019–2022); and Artefacts of Relations: building in the Pacific (2022–2025). Albert co-leads the Vā Moana: Pacific Spaces Research Cluster at AUT with Tina Engels-Schwarzpaul and Layne Waerea.