Prof Harlene Hayne, who takes over as vice-chancellor in mid-August, moved to Dunedin in 1992 with husband Mike Colombo and baby daughter Marea Colombo.
She said she decided to hold off becoming a citizen in the hope she and Marea would be able to share the same ceremony.
"I thought it would be good to do it together, but deciding to become a citizen is a decision you have to make as an adult. When Marea was 18, we gave her the option and she decided to do it."
Ms Colombo (20) has been living in the US state of Vermont studying psychology - the academic discipline of both her parents - politics and Arabic, which delayed the timing of the ceremony for mother and daughter.
Prof Hayne and Prof Colombo, also a University of Otago staff member, have a younger daughter, Sara (16), who was born in New Zealand and has dual citizenship.
Mother and daughter were among 35 people from 12 countries who were made citizens at a ceremony in the Glenroy Auditorium presided over by Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull.
Mr Cull and Prof Hayne already work alongside each other as members of the University Council.
The other new citizens are: Mr Colin Mark Daykin (UK); Mr Geert Roelof de Vries (Netherlands); Mr Alexander George Ellis (UK); Mr Russell Victor, Mrs Desire and Mr Kyle Malachi Field (South Africa); Miss Jer Wei Rowena Fu (Malaysia); Ms Sabina Ilona and Mr Leon Johannes Handorf (Germany); Mrs Laura Elizabeth Hannah (US); Miss Heather Edlyn and Master Keith Owen Huckle (UK); Mr Andrew Harry, Mrs Lindsay Jane, Miss Stephanie Patricia and Master Lewis James Jackson (UK); Miss Rajashri Mani Koduri (India); Miss Kuan-Hsien Lin (Taiwan); Mr Binod Kumar and Mrs Rambha Maharjan (Nepal); Mr Thomaskutty Pazhooparambil Joseph, Mrs Nisha Alphonse Kuzhuvelil, Miss Judith Thomas Pazhooparambil and Miss Janet Thomas Pazhooparambil (India); Miss Magnificat Anima Mea Samita (Tonga); Mr Antony Michael Shannon (UK); Miss Ashleigh Jaye Spratt (UK); Mr Justin Sean Stubbs (Germany); Mr Sonny Castanares Vitug (Philippines); Mrs Helen Clare White (UK); Mrs Kristin Marie Wilson-Salt (UK); Miss Petra Wink (Germany).
