Rate My Professor Maia Dean

Prior to her staff role, Maia Dean was a Bachelor of Science student at the University of Otago, majoring in physics, chemistry, and mathematics. She participated as a summer fellowship student in the Space Physics Group, Department of Physics, during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. As a Discovery Scholar with the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, she advanced her interests in materials science and environmental remediation. In 2022, the University of Otago featured her in its 'Ones to Watch' series, highlighting her passion for STEM and commitment to addressing global challenges such as climate change impacts on Aotearoa New Zealand and Pacific Islands, as well as space exploration including Mars habitability. She was selected to represent the university at the Global Young Scientist Summit in Singapore in 2023. Additionally, she received the Te Taumata Award and served as President of SVA Otago, the Student Volunteer Army chapter. Born and raised in Ōtepoti (Dunedin), she has ancestral ties to Rarotonga and Fiji, with a family background in science, engineering, and education: her mother is a medical laboratory scientist, father a software engineer, and grandparents teachers and principals.