The teaching talent behind UCOL’s student success at this month’s Epson/New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) Iris Professional Photography Awards was evident with four lecturers winning personal recognition.

UCOL won the Tertiary Institute of the Year for the 6th year running at the annual event for the outstanding competition results achieved by students in the Bachelor of Applied Visual Imaging (BAVI) programme.

As well as the success of UCOL students, BAVI Senior Lecturer Kaye Davis was named as a finalist in the ­NZ Professional Photographer of the Year Creative Category along with winning the Highest Scoring Monochrome Print Award.

Her images also gained a host of medals including one Gold, one Silver Distinction, two Silver and two Bronzes. Kaye’s achievements and accumulated success were recognised through the distinction of being awarded the Bar to Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP).

Last year’s 2009 NZIPP Photographer of the Year award winner, Senior Lecturer Paul Gummer, was a finalist in the Travel Category this year and gained a Gold, a Silver Distinction and two Silver medals for his print entries. Paul also gained the distinction of being awarded his Bar to Fellow of NZIPP.

BAVI Senior Lecturer Ian Rotherham achieved four Bronzes in the print awards and gained his Master of Professional Photography. Ian was also awarded the Silver Spool Award for contribution to the photographic industry.

Lecturer Tricia Falkner gained a Silver medal.

“The success of our lecturers at this national photography event provides further proof of the excellence of our BAVI teaching staff,” says UCOL’s Dean of Humanities and Business, Clive Jones. “It is an inspiration to the students they teach and clearly demonstrates that UCOL is by far and away the leading New Zealand tertiary institution for photography education.”  

Third year BAVI student Anna Kernohan won the Student/Assistant category, beating the two other finalists Darcy Woods and Julie Davison, both from UCOL.

In the Student/Assistant category, UCOL students also took a total of 76 awards, including three Gold awards, nine Silvers and five Silvers with distinction and 30 Bronze awards.