Pauline Harris is from the tribes Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rakaipaka and Ngāti Kahungunu. She has a background in physics – completing her PhD and Master’s at Canterbury University, centred around gamma ray bursts, high-energy neutrino production and inflationary cosmology. She now focuses on mātauranga Māori associated with Māori astronomy and traditional Māori calendars called Maramataka.

Pauline is extensively involved in the Māori community and is an active member of a number of trust boards. Currently, she is the Chairperson of the Society of Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions (SMART), and there she is dedicated to the collation and the revitalization of Māori astronomical star lore and Maramataka.

Pauline is a Senior Lecturer at the centre for Science in Society at Victoria University Wellington and she is a group member of the Matariki Advisory Group advising the Government on the Matariki national holiday.