We are delighted to announce that three academics from the University – two from the Business School and one from the School of Geography – have been appointed Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Professor Isabelle Szmigin and Professor Shlomo Tarba from the Business School, and Professor Peter Kraftl from the School of Geography, are just three of 51 new fellows this year made up of academics, practitioners and policymakers across the social sciences, who have been recognised for the excellence and impact of their work using social science for public benefit.
Professor Isabelle Szmigin is internationally-recognised for her research in marketing, and more specifically her focus on responsible marketing but also ethical consumption. Isabelle is often cited by the media for her research into consumer behaviour and is sought to comment on a range of business stories including binge drinking, junk food, closure of retail outlets, and controversial advertising.
Known for his research in the fields of business and global strategy, human resource management, and organisational behaviour, Professor Tarba is frequently invited to speak at research seminars given his expertise in company sustainability, resilience to change, and the human resource aspect of company mergers.
“This is a great achievement for these two highly-regarded academics, but also for us as a Business School.” Professor Catherine Cassell, Dean of the Business School, comments, “Isabelle and Shlomo are known for their commitment to researching how businesses can operate to the betterment of society and those it employs, and it is great to see them recognised for their contribution social sciences as a whole.”
Professor Peter Kraftl is best known for his research on children’s geographies, and especially for research into the emotions, affects, materialities and practices that make up their everyday lives. He also publishes on geographies of education and architecture. He has been an Editor of the journals Area and Children’s Geographies and was a founding member of the Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).
Professor William Bloss, Head of the School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, comments, “Peter leads the Children and Childhood Network (supported by the University’s Institute for Global Innovation and Institute of Advanced Studies) and his work is having real impact around the world. We are delighted that Peter has received the award - recognising the importance of this research.”
The Academy’s Fellowship is made up of distinguished individuals from academic, public and private sectors, across the full breadth of the social sciences. Through leadership, applied research, policymaking and practice, they have worked to help understand and tackle some of the toughest challenges facing us in modern times. Their work has contributed to the UK’s position as a world leader in the social sciences.