It is with great pleasure that the Association honours Dorian Owen with the award of Life Membership of the NZ Association of Economists.

Dorian gained a PhD at the University of Swansea in 1983. His first academic appointment was as a Lecturer at the University of Reading. Dorian moved to New Zealand in 1986, initially as a Senior Lecturer at Canterbury and from 1990 until the present as a Professor at Otago. Dorian’s initial research area was monetary economics. His research interests have become more wide-ranging over time, developing an interest in the empirical modelling of economic growth and development in the mid 1990s and, more recently, an interest in the economics of sport. Dorian is one of New Zealand’s most respected academic economists, having been published in several top journals. He has also served the profession in a number of ways (including, but not limited to, being a PBRF panelist, an external examiner of postgraduate theses for many New Zealand and overseas universities, and an organiser of the New Zealand Econometric Studies Group on three occasions). The award of Life Membership, however, is made not primarily for these achievements, but for the contribution he has made to the New Zealand Association of Economists over a long period of time.

Dorian was editor of NZEP from 1995-1997 (volumes 29 to 31). Dorian was a highly respected editor, having a reputation for being both fair and efficient. This was in the days before NZEP had a contract with a professional publisher. Hence, as well as overseeing the refereeing process and ensuring a steady flow of quality articles, the editor also had to make sure all articles were free of grammatical errors and were camera ready. Dorian performed all of these duties to a very high standard. More recently, Dorian was a member of the Search Committee for a new NZEP editor in 2006 and has been an Associate Editor and member of the Editorial Board of NZEP since 2007.

Dorian was a member of the NZAE Council from 1995 to 1999, serving as Vice President for a two-year period from 1997 to 1999. During his term on Council, he was also a member of the NZAE Education Trust.

Dorian’s support of NZAE goes beyond his work as a Council Member and NZEP Editor. For many years Dorian’s active participation in NZAE conferences has been a given. He has also encouraged his graduate students to attend NZAE conferences and to enter the various competitions available to graduate students. Dorian led by example in this regard, entering (and winning) the NZIER poster competition in 2010. Dorian has also been a judge for the Jan Whitwell Prize and the Statistics New Zealand Prize. One of Dorian’s graduate students, whose involvement with NZAE began when Dorian encouraged him to attend an NZAE conference in the 1990s, many years later went on to become NZAE President.

In making this award of Life Membership to Dorian Owen, the NZAE Council recognises the sterling support he has given the Association over a number of years, as a Council member, Vice President, Editor of NZEP and general supporter of the Association.