Natalia Levina

Natalia Levina is the Paganelli-Bull Professor of Technology & International Business and Ph.D. Program Coordinator for Information Systems at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University. She has been a faculty member since 2001 and holds an ongoing appointment as a Research Environment Professor at Warwick Business School, University of Warwick (UK). She has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge, University of Hawaii, and University of California Santa Barbara.

Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Information Technology from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, an M.A. in Mathematics, and a B.A. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Boston University.

Natalia Levina’s research focuses on how individuals and organizations span boundaries in the context of technological innovation. Her current work explores the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in medicine and HR, open innovation, smart contracts, and firm-community dynamics in crowdsourcing. She employs qualitative research methods, particularly grounded theory, to develop rich theoretical insights into digital transformation and collaborative practices.

Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on identity, innovation framing, and community dynamics in digital environments. She frequently publishes in top-tier journals such as Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly, and Academy of Management Journal. Her work bridges theory and practice, often addressing real-world challenges in global sourcing, digital innovation, and organizational change.

• Best Published Paper of 2021 Award in Information Systems
• Best Published Paper of 2015 Award in Information Systems
• Best Published Paper of 2015 from Academy of Management Research Methods Division
• Best Published Paper of 2014 from Academy of Management OCIS Division
• Caroline Dexter Award, 2009
• International Conference on Inter-Cultural Collaboration Best Paper Awards (2009, 2006)
• Fellow of the Association for Information Systems (2022)

Natalia Levina has advised numerous startups and large corporations on open innovation, crowdsourcing, and global sourcing. She has received major research grants from the National Science Foundation, IBM, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. She has held editorial roles at Information Systems Research (Senior Editor), Organization Science (Board Member), and currently serves on the editorial board of Information & Organizations. She co-founded and chaired the AIS SIG on Grounded Theory Method (2016–2020) and served as program co-chair for ICIS 2016 and conference chair for the Collective Intelligence Conference 2016.

She teaches courses such as Digital Innovation & Crowdsourcing at undergraduate, MBA, and Executive MBA levels, and leads a Ph.D. Research Seminar on Information Technology and Organizations. Her teaching has received outstanding evaluations, and she has been nominated for the Best Professor Award by EMBA students.