Four members of the University have been elected to the Academy of Social Sciences this year, bringing the number of Academicians at the University up to 15.

Professors Denis Fischbacher-Smith, Andy Furlong, Ken Gibb, and Mark Stephens were all appointed to the Academy for their outstanding contributions to the social sciences in the UK.

The Academy of Social Sciences, which now includes over 700 individual Academicians from around the UK, works to promote the social sciences for the public benefit; nomination to the Society is a prestigious honour, achieved only through a rigorous peer-review process.

It aims to promote excellence and advancement of the social sciences through research and education, encourage collaboration and an interdisciplinary approach to the social sciences. It also recognises and celebrates the achievements and contributions of outstanding individuals in the field.

Denis Fischbacher-Smith is Professor of Risk and Resilience in the Business School; he has been concerned with issues of risk management, business continuity and resilience for over 25 years. He has published widely in the area of crisis management and has been a regular consultant to a number of ‘Blue chip’ companies as well as local authorities, the emergency services, and Government.

Professor Furlong was elected on the strength of his research into the experiences of young people and their transition into education and employment. He is an educational sociologist whose work has focussed on patterns of educational participation and forms of engagement, educational and occupational aspirations, higher education, informal education and training. He is currently Professor of Social Inclusion and Education in the School of Education.

Ken Gibb is Professor in Housing Economics in the University’s School of Political and Social Sciences whose research interests include housing markets and economics, urban housing systems, urban economics and social housing and housing policy, he is also the current editor in chief of the Urban Studies journal.

Mark Stephens is Professor in Urban Economics in the School of Political and Social Sciences with an interest in residential mortgage finance and home-ownership, housing and policy, comparative housing studies, housing in transition, and in developing countries.

Speaking about the appointments, Head of the College of Social Sciences, Professor Anne Anderson, said: “It’s fantastic for the University to have so many people represented in the Academy of Social Sciences and shows the quality of the scholarly work being undertaken in the College. I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to Andy, Ken, Denis and Mark for their achievements.”

First published: 26 October 2011

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