Tracey McIntosh (Ngāi Tūhoe) is Professor of Indigenous Studies at Wānanga o Waipapa (School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies) at the University of Auckland. She is the Chief Science Advisor for the Ministry of Social Development and a Commissioner of Te Kāhui Tātari Ture: Criminal Cases Review Commission. She was the former Co-Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga New Zealand’s Māori Centre of Research Excellence.
She previously taught in the sociology and criminology programme at the University of Auckland. In 2012 Tracey served as the co-chair of the Children’s Commissioner’s Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty. In 2018-2019 she was a member of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) which released the report ‘Whakmana Tangata: Restoring Dignity to Social Security in New Zealand’ (2019). She was also a member of Te Uepū Hapai i te Ora – The Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group which released the report ‘He Waka Roimata: Transforming our Criminal Justice System’ (2019) and ‘Turuki! Turuki!’ (2019). She sits on a range of advisory groups and boards for government and community organisations. She is currently contributing to the Royal Commission of Abuse in care in an advisory capacity and is a Board member of He Whenua Taurikura.
Her recent research focused on incarceration (particularly of Māori and Indigenous peoples) and issues pertaining to poverty, inequality and social justice. She recognises the significance of working with those that have lived expertise of incarceration and marginalisation and acknowledges them as experts of their own condition. She has a strong interest in the interface between research and policy.