Rate My Professor Nic Smith

Professor Nic Smith is the incoming Vice-Chancellor of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, with the appointment taking effect on 3 August 2026. An alumnus of the University of Auckland, he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in 1993 and a PhD in Engineering in 1999, and he also holds a Master of Arts from the University of Oxford. His previous roles include Vice-Chancellor of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington since 2023, Provost at Queensland University of Technology from 2020 to 2022, Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland from 2013 to 2020, Head of Biomedical Engineering at King’s College London from 2011 to 2013, and Professor of Computational Physiology at the University of Oxford from 2008 to 2011.

Professor Smith is a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and of Engineering New Zealand. He is an internationally recognised researcher in biomedical engineering whose work integrates engineering, science and medicine to develop sophisticated computer models of coronary blood flow and the human heart, advancing understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease. He has led major international research collaborations, published widely in leading journals, and holds a number of international patents, with his research supporting clinical innovation and new healthcare technologies. As Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland, he strengthened research performance and industry engagement while leading the Faculty’s response to historical grievances. Professor Smith is committed to advancing Māori and Pacific aspirations and fostering the role of universities in their communities.

Professional Email: null