After 15 years in a successful IT career, Monica decided it was time to pivot toward her true passion: conservation. A fascination with science led Monica to pursue a bachelor’s degree all the way to a PhD in Ecology and Biodiversity at Te Herenga Waka, where much of her research focuses on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of invasive species in Pacific nations.
"My work in the Pacific started in Tokelau, where yellow crazy ants were attacking seabirds,” Monica explains. “But it was really the people who were affected most. The ants were coming into homes, crawling on sleeping babies, and you couldn’t stand still for more than a few minutes before the ants would crawl all over you. People couldn’t sleep or cook outside like they normally would. And the ants totally overwhelmed coconut crabs, which are a traditional food resource.”
Monica’s desire to help the people of Tokelau transformed into an initiative within the School of Biological Sciences that was dubbed “Pacific Biosecurity.” Several years later, Monica transformed this initiative into Pacific Biosecurity Limited, a nonprofit company that supports Pacific nations in managing the impacts of invasive species.
“Sometimes the idea of biosecurity can sound quite militaristic, and people worry that it means that they are going to have things confiscated,” says Monica. “But the true purpose of biosecurity is to protect the resources that each nation has and help secure the livelihoods and future of the people who live there.”
For nearly 15 years now, Monica has been providing strategic planning advice, capability-building tools, and ecological knowledge products to countries and territories throughout the region. Monica has chosen to turn the profits of Pacific Biosecurity into the Protect Our Islands Pasifika scholarship for Pasifika students at Te Herenga Waka.
The award, which will range from $5,000 to $10,000, is aimed at supporting students who have their hearts set on a postgraduate programme in the environmental and ecological sciences—regardless of their undergraduate discipline. The scholarship payments will be divided between the recipient’s final year of undergraduate study and their first year of postgraduate study to help ease the transition.
“We want to support students who have a desire to build resilience in the Pacific through nature,” says Monica. “Whether that's in invasive species management, conservation in protected areas, or marine resource management, I just want the applicants to be passionate about being caretakers of the Pacific.”
Monica believes that it’s crucial for environmental stewardship to be championed by people who have a lived connection to the region. She hopes that this scholarship will encourage more Pasifika students to enter a career in environmental or ecological sciences.
Applications for the Protect Our Islands Pasifika scholarship are open until Monday 30 June 2025. To apply, applicants must intend to enrol in postgraduate studies at Te Herenga Waka directly after finishing their bachelor’s degree and hold a GPA of 6.5 or higher. The scholarship also comes with the option of private mentoring with Monica and potentially the chance to work with Pacific Biosecurity Limited in the future.
“I hope this scholarship gets talented students over the line and into a career that has benefits for the peoples and environments of our Pacific region.”