About Margaret di Menna
Lived 1923 – 2014 (aged 90). Margaret di Menna was a New Zealand microbiologist and botanist.
Margaret Elaine di Menna (8 July 1923 – 24 March 2014) was a New Zealand microbiologist. In 1954 she became the first woman to gain a Doctor of Philosophy degree from a New Zealand university. Her doctoral thesis at the University of Otago was entitled Yeasts of the human body, their nature and relationship. She had previously graduated with a MSc(Hons) from the same institution in 1948.
In 1990, di Menna was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, and in the 1997 New Year Honours, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to microbiology. In 2011, the reading room at Abbey College at the University of Otago was named in her honour. She was a prominent member of Zonta International.
She died in Hamilton in 2014.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Margaret di Menna's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Margaret di Menna?
New Zealand microbiologist, first NZ woman PhD
When was Margaret di Menna born?
Margaret di Menna was born on 8 July 1923 in Huddersfield.
When did Margaret di Menna die?
Margaret di Menna died on 24 March 2014 in Hamilton.
What was Margaret di Menna's occupation?
Margaret di Menna was a microbiologist and botanist.
What nationality was Margaret di Menna?
Margaret di Menna was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Margaret di Menna
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Margaret di Menna. https://biography.guide/margaret-di-menna/
MLA: "Margaret di Menna." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/margaret-di-menna/.
Chicago: "Margaret di Menna." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/margaret-di-menna/.
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