Rate My Professor Nat Wierdak

Nathalie Wierdak is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Management at the University of Otago's Otago Business School. She holds a BA from Universidad Central de Venezuela and an MA in Cultural Management from City University London (2006). Her career at the University of Otago began in 2015 as Science Engagement Manager at Otago Museum, where she led the Far from Frozen climate change programme, collaborating with New Zealand High Commission and Climate Change Offices in Niue, Cook Islands, Tonga, and Fiji. She managed projects for the European Commission Youth in Action programme and United Nations University, connecting students and academics internationally. Transitioning to academia, she now contributes to the Division of Commerce.

In her current role, Wierdak manages teaching, marking, and administration for BSNS111 and MANT101. She sits on the Teaching and Learning Committee, oversees Assurance of Learning processes, organises and hires tutors for the department, designs and implements the BSNS111 workshop programme, participates in the Course Advising Committee, handles Academic Integrity processes, and supervises and coordinates Master's students' research projects in sustainable business. As Co-Director of the Master of Sustainable Business programme and Academic Lead for the Winds of Change Programme, she advises on stakeholder engagement and creates frameworks for industry. Her research specializations include artificial intelligence in education, academic integrity, and equity-centric communications for tertiary students, especially Māori and Pasifika. Key publications are the co-edited book Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity: Navigating Ethical Challenges of AI in Education (Springer Nature, 2026); chapters 'Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity at a Crossroads' (Daniel, B. K., Sheridan, L., & Wierdak, N., 2026) and 'Evaluating the Potential for AI-Enhanced Communication to Foster Tertiary Students' Sense of Belonging and Academic Engagement' (Wierdak, N., Sheridan, L., Martin, R., & Shawkat, F., 2026); and conference contribution 'Widening Participation in the Digital Age: The Role of Equity-Centric Communications in Generating a Sense of Belonging Among Māori and Pasifika Students' (TERNZ Conference, 2024). She presented at UNESCO Digital Learning Week (2024).