Dr an Huef, who is a senior lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of New South Wales, will take up her Otago post late this year.
She succeeds Prof Derek Holton, who recently retired after 24 years as Otago's professor of pure mathematics.
Her main expertise is in functional analysis, which is a branch of modern analysis relevant to problems involving infinite-dimensional phenomena.
"I study objects called operator algebras - an area not currently represented in New Zealand - so I'm contributing a new skill set to New Zealand mathematics," she said.
"Operator algebras first arose in mathematical models of quantum mechanics, and have since proved to be of interest in a broad range of mathematical situations."
Her research has been published in highly-ranked international journals and she has gained grants from the National Science Foundation, in the United States, and the Australian Re-search Council.
Her research collaborations involved colleagues from Australia, the United States, Scotland and Brazil, university officials said.
Dr an Huef's family immigrated to New Zealand from Germany when she was a teenager and she attended Wellington High School for two years before the family moved to Australia.
She graduated with a PhD from Dartmouth College in the United States in 1999 and was an assistant professor at Denver University for three years, before returning to Australia in 2002.
Otago University vice-chancellor Prof David Skegg said she was an "outstanding academic" who would enhance Otago's research and teaching strengths.
Prof Vernon Squire, the university pro-vice-chancellor, sciences, said she was a popular university lecturer, postgraduate supervisor and mentor who would bring "an exciting new research focus to the department".
