Professor Steven Greer from the University’s Law School, Professor Jenny Donovan from the School of Social and Community Medicine, and Professor Sarah Childs from the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, have each been elected Academicians of the Academy for demonstrating excellence, and the advancement of, social sciences in the UK.
Professor Greer’s research interests focus on human rights generally but particularly institutional issues and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Professor Donovan’s expertise lies in Health Services Research (HSR), focusing on people's experiences of illness and health care and the acceptability of healthcare interventions.
Professor Childs’ work explores women and British politics, in particular party politics and parliament, and women and the Labour and Conservative Parties.
Professor Judith Squires, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, said: "I am delighted that the work of three more University of Bristol social scientists has been honoured in this way. Academicians include many of the most prominent academic social scientists in the UK, this is a great reflection of their commitment, excellence and dedication to the field.”
The Academy of Social Sciences is composed of over 700 Individual Academicians and 40 Learned Societies. Academicians are distinguished scholars and practitioners from academia and the public and private sectors. Most of the Learned Societies in the social sciences in the United Kingdom are represented within the Academy.
The Academy responds to Government and other consultations on behalf of the social science community, organises meetings about social science and seminars on topics that span social science disciplines, and sponsors a number of schemes that promote social science and enhance its value to society. Individual social scientists are conferred the title by virtue of their eminence. Members are elected for life and designate themselves through the use of the letters AcSS after their names.
These latest awards brings to 19 the number of current Bristol academics whose work in the field of social science has been honoured in this way. Others who have previously been awarded the title AcSS include Emeritus Professor Bernard Alford (Historical Studies), Professor Terrell Carver (Politics), Professor Guy Claxton (Graduate School of Education), Professor Michael Crossley (Graduate School of Education), Visiting Professor Rosemary Deem (Graduate School of Education), Emeritus Professor Malcolm Johnson (Policy Studies), Professor Kelvyn Jones (Geographical Sciences), Emeritus Professor Hilary Land (Policy Studies), Emeritus Professor Richard Little (Politics), Professor Gregor McLennan (Sociology), Professor Roger Middleton (Historical Studies), Professor Tariq Modood (Sociology) and Professor Judith Squires (Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law), Professor Ray Forrest (Policy Studies) and Professor Mark Wickham-Jones (Politics) and Professor Wendy Larner (School of Geographical Sciences).