Meet Dr. Rabiah Mayas

Rabiah is madly in love with science – driven by life’s questions and rarely satisfied with answers she’s given.  Her work at the Museum of Science and Industry is focused on supporting that spirit in youth; she leads a multidisciplinary department that develops, implements and researches programs that help kids explore their own passions and pathways.

Q+A

What is your favorite place to travel to?  

Everywhere! I’ve been visiting a little spot on St. Maarten a few times a year...I love exploring new countries, but every few months I get the itch to visit that little gem of an island hideaway. Since 2014 my new focus is being in Haiti (my father’s home country) and somewhere in Africa at least once a year.

What do you believe?  

I believe that every child’s birthright is to live in a world where the grownups around her believe in, articulate, and defend her potential for greatness. I had the privilege of such an upbringing and see daily the heartbreaking consequences of us not protecting and fortifying our kids.

A little known fact about yourself? 

I have a twin sister who is magic. She’s also a scientist – we completed our PhDs two weeks apart from each other - with a social justice spirit that will totally change the world.  She’s also a freaking genius and the most honest, unapologetic, awesome person I know.

What do you suck at?  

Controlling my face. It’s my major and consistent tell. If I’m annoyed, bored, disgusted, excited, happy, confused, whatever…it shows, and usually with some shiny lip gloss involved. It can be fun at everyday social life but isn’t always a winner in meetings or sticky relationship chats.

What is your hidden talent? 

I am AMAZING at sleeping. It might not seem like a talent, but I can fall asleep wherever, however, whenever, however. I sleep pretty deeply and never wake up in the middle of the night, but I also struggle to stay awake in movies, so that kind of sucks.

Want More?  Go take a workshop with with her and her team in the Fab Lab at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago