Maya's interests include public management, social inclusion, and citizen-state relationships. She conducted research on governance and service delivery in twelve countries for the Innovations for Successful Societies program at Princeton University, covering issues from land administration to urban development. She also previously worked on gender and disability issues at UN Women and refugee rights at the International Rescue Committee.

Maya holds a Master's degree in international development from Johns Hopkins University - School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelor's degree in comparative politics from Princeton University.