Mabin completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours at the University of Canterbury in 1975, where she was a student of Hans Daellenbach.
[1] She then completed a PhD titled Variability in distribution at the Department of Operational Research at the University of Lancaster.
[3][4] Mabin was the Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) for Victoria's School of Business for six years from 2008.
[3] One of Mabin's notable doctoral students is Professor Sarah Leberman.
[8] Mabin was awarded a TOCICO Lifetime Achievement Award by the Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization in 2021, "in recognition for significant contribution to the TOC community to advance the TOC body of knowledge".