Max Abbott

Max Wenden Abbott (born 7 June 1951) is a New Zealand psychologist. He served as director of the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation from 1981 to 1991. An expert in gambling addiction, he was a professor at Auckland University of Technology from 1991 to 2020, when he resigned following an allegation of sexual harassment.

Early life and education Born in Featherston on 7 June 1951, Abbott was educated at Kuranui College in Greytown. He went on to study at Victoria University of Wellington, where he earned Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 1971 and 1973, respectively. In 1980, Abbott received a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology from the University of Canterbury.

In 1991, Abbott joined the Auckland Institute of Technology—now Auckland University of Technology (AUT)—as dean of the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, and remained there until his resignation in 2020. He also served as pro-vice-chancellor at AUT, and is a noted expert in the field of gambling addiction.

Honours and awards In 1990, Abbott was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. In 2018, Abbott was a recipient of AUT's University Medal.

Controversy In August 2019, a five-page complaint was laid against Abbott for sexual harassment of an overseas colleague over a period of two years. After an investigation, Abbott resigned from AUT, and apologised to the complainant.