Jarime Falana-Chaco

Jarime is researching information behavior and identity amongst Māori and Pasifika visual artists

PhD Student Jarime Falana-Chaco
PhD Student Jarime Falana-Chaco

Supervisors: Associate Professor Spencer Lilley and Dr. Jennifer Campbell-Meier

Profile

Jarime Falana-Chaco (he/they) is a PhD candidate in Information Studies within the School of Information Management at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.

His research explores how Māori and Pasifika visual artists engage with information to inform their creative practices—and, more importantly, how this process shapes their identity and sense of belonging. At its heart, his work examines the deep relationship between creativity, cultural identity, and human information behavior. Jarime’s journey toward doctoral study has been anything but linear. A child of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, born to Pasifika whakapapa and raised in the United States, his experiences navigating cultural identity, belonging, and diaspora have become the foundation of his research and his motivation to support Indigenous and Pacific communities.

Before entering academia, Jarime served as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Air Force and later pursued his creative passions as a hip hop dancer trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and ballroom. He also writes poetry and creates digital art. His doctoral journey began in the US in 2020 and resumed at Te Herenga Waka in 2024. An alum of the 2015 cohort and mentor for the 2022 cohort of the Information Science Inclusion Institute—hosted by the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Texas at Austin—this program prepares students from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds for graduate study and careers in information science.

Jarime’s experiences there deepened his commitment to inclusivity and community within academia, while his personal journey continues to guide his reconnection to whakapapa and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Sociology, Minor in Philosophy – University of Houston, USA
  • Associate of Science (A.S.) in Science – Lonestar College, USA

Research Interests

Human information behavior; Indigenous research methodologies; identity and belonging; Māori and Pasifika visual arts; cultural knowledge systems; decolonial approaches to information science.

Publications & Conference Presentations

  • Chaco, J. T. (2020). Microscopic Dilemma: Cultural Impacts on Academics of Pacific Islander College Football Players. AESA Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX. (Conference Cancelled due to COVID).
  • Rodriguez, J. L., Chaco, J., Contreras, C., & Ramgoolam, D. (2017). Exploring the Role of Social Media in the Information: Seeking Behavior of Millennials in Search of Safe Sex and Sexual Health Information. iConference Proceedings, 794–797.
  • Popular Press: Chaco, J. T. (2020). Penny Semaia: Life Beyond the Gridiron. Block Chronicles.
  • Forthcoming Conference Presentations:
    • Chaco, J. T. (2025). Weaving Culturally Responsive Methodologies: A Braided River Approach to Exploring Information Behaviour Among Māori and Pasifika Visual Artists. RAILS 2025 Conference, Sydney, Australia.
    • Chaco, J. T. (2025). Braiding Knowledge Systems: A Grounded Theory Literature Review of Information Behaviours Among Māori and Pasifika Visual Artists. RAILS 2025 Conference, Sydney, Australia.