Professor Susan Halford of the Web Science Institute elected President of the British Sociological Association

Susan Halford, Professor of Sociology and a Director of the University’s Web Science Institute, has been elected as President of the British Sociological Association (BSA).

The position, which is effective for three years from 1 January 2018, will be to represent the BSA, both within the UK and on the global stage.

She was nominated by Professor Mike Savage, of the London School of Economics, who said:

“Professor Susan Halford will be a committed and passionate spokesperson for British sociology who will command respect within and beyond the discipline, in the UK and internationally. Her recent work on digital data, artefacts and methods has been highly influential, winning the prize for best paper in the journal Sociology in 2015. A recent Head of Department, Susan has first-hand experience of the challenges of REF, student recruitment, teaching, and other performance metrics.”

“Grounded in her experience as an organisational sociologist, she has a strong track record of supporting equality, inclusivity and participation, understanding that these drive productive and forward looking organisations. Her extensive record in doctoral supervision and programme direction makes her perfect for engaging younger sociologists. Susan is a consummate professional who would be an outstanding ambassador and advocate for the discipline.”

Susan said she was very honoured to have been elected:

“It’s a notable distinction and a huge opportunity to contribute to the representation and development of Sociology as a discipline. I am deeply committed to Sociology and the part that it must play if we are to have an in-depth, convincing and actionable understanding of the world around us.

“Now more than ever – as we continue to struggle with persistent social inequalities and divisions at the same time as we witness rapid social change, from the global movement of people to the growth of digital data and artificial intelligence – we need to make sure that the expertise of Sociologists is fully engaged in all forms of social research and education across the academy, in policy-making and business.”

Professor Halford is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has just been appointed to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Digital Economy Programme Advisory Board.