3 professors made fellows of academy

Leading University of Otago academics Emeritus Prof John Barsby, Prof Terence Dennis and Prof Charles Higham have been made Fellows of the New Zealand Academy of the Humanities.

They are among eight new fellows recently announced and honoured for "distinguished achievement" in humanities.

Prof Barsby is writing a history of the Otago University classics department, which he headed from 1978 to 2002, introducing beginners Latin and an honours programme.

He was a "highly respected expert on classical philology" and had been at the forefront of the study of Roman comedy, writing more than 100 articles and producing editions of works by Plautus (1986) and Terence (1999), the academy citation noted.

He had also helped introduce the idea of non-linguistic classical studies to both secondary and tertiary education in this country, broadening the appeal of classical studies to include the history, art, religion, theatre and politics of Greek and Roman civilisations.

Prof Dennis, of the Otago music department, was a "highly distinguished pianist with a formidable international reputation as an accompanist for the world's best singers and instrumentalists", the citation said.

He had recorded studio and live solo performances and been the pianist of choice for the Mobil and Lexus Song Quests, and several international contests, including the Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

Prof Higham, of the Otago anthropology department, was a "world specialist in the archaeology of mainland Southeast Asia", the citation said.

He was a widely-revered archaeologist who had written several standard texts, including The Civilisation of Angkor (2001) and Early Cultures of Mainland Southeast Asia (2002).

He was also a fellow of several learned bodies, including the Society of Antiquaries, the British Academy and the Royal Society of New Zealand.

• Prof Witi Ihimaera Smiler, an award-winning novelist and former Robert Burns Fellow at Otago University, has also gained an academy fellowship.