Mr Harraway, who is a senior lecturer in the university's mathematics and statistics department, is well aware that some people, including quite a few school pupils, find statistics "not very interesting".
But he begs to differ and highlights the vital role played by statistics in analysing problems and helping overcome challenges in many vital fields, including in human health and environmental management.
Mr Harraway, who is president-elect of the International Association for Statistics Education, is also well aware of the bigger international picture.
New Zealand, he says, has already become a world leader through the strong and growing emphasis given to the study of statistics in our high schools.
"Other countries are envious of what we have achieved in New Zealand."
He and Otago Girls' High School mathematics head Jeanette Chapman have also been helping prepare something of a secret weapon to make high school statistics more interesting.
He recently persuaded VSN International, an English-based non-profit company, to offer a powerful but easy-to-use statistical analysis software package - called GenStat Teaching and Learning - for free use by every high school in New Zealand.
The company may well believe that if many budding statisticians and scientists come to know and like the software, they will later opt to use the commercial version in their postgraduate work at university.
About 35 high school mathematics teachers attended a "very successful" recent workshop to outline the potential use of the software, which Ms Chapman has been trialling at her school for several months.
The software offer is a "hugely important development", he says.
Pupils will be able to avoid some of the less interesting mechanical work that was previously required, and to pursue advanced analysis, making significant discoveries amid the mass of data.
"It will enliven and enrich the teaching of statistics in our schools," Ms Chapman said.
