Home Index
Colonel
Maiya D. Anderson
Permanent Professor 2018–
B.S., United States Air Force Academy
M.S., Oregon State University
M.Ed., University of Washington
Ph.D., Ohio State University
Maiya Anderson, the Academy’s 99th Permanent Professor, was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1975. She graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1997 with a degree in Environmental Engineering. As a cadet, she led the Academy’s women’s swimming team to NCAA Division II national titles in 1995 and 1996, was a 12-time All-American as well as 2-time national champion, and was named the Academy’s Most Valuable Female Athlete in 1997. Awarded an NCAA post-graduate scholarship, Maiya attended Oregon State University, Corvallis, earning her Master’s degree in Bioresource Engineering in 1998. From 1998 to 2003, she was assigned to the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight, Langley AFB, VA, rising to Deputy Flight Commander. During this tour, she deployed for four months to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, as Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight Commander. Maiya was assigned to Hill AFB, UT, from 2003 to 2005, serving various roles including the Executive Officer for the 75th Medical Group. Her next assignment was to the Academy’s Department of Athletics, 2005–2009, as Instructor, Course Director, Assistant Coach, Intercollegiate Program Manager, Chief of Scheduling, Executive Officer to the Deputy Director of Athletics, and Chief of the Physical Education Division, winning the department’s Outstanding Academy Educator Award in 2007. During this time, Maiya began a Master’s degree program in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership through the University of Washington, Seattle, receiving her degree in 2010. In 2009 Maiya pursued doctoral studies at Ohio State, Columbus, where she earned her PhD in Sport Management in 2012. She then returned to Hill AFB, 2012–2015, as Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight Commander and Deputy Squadron Commander, 75th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, earning Air Force Material Command’s Biomedical Science Corps Team of the Year Award in 2015. From 2015 to 2017 she was assigned as Commander, 30th Medical Operations Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, CA. Her unit drove patient satisfaction, access to care, and provider productivity to number one in AF Space Command and won “Best Clinic of the Year” Award two years in a row. She returned to the Academy in July 2017 as Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Physical Education. In this capacity, she leads her team administering the Academy’s curriculum of required and elective physical education courses as well as programs in cadet fitness and testing, reconditioning, and intramural sports. Over the years, she has been active in international competitions, helping the Armed Forces women’s team to the military pentathlon championship in 2002 and 2004. Maiya also competed at the Ironman World Championships in 2001 and 2006 and is a six-time International Military Sports Council (CISM) world championship athlete in triathlon and orienteering. She was inducted into the Air Force Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015 as an individual, and again honored in 2017 when the 1995 and 1996 swimming teams were inducted.