Significant contribution

Professors William Maloney and Jane Pollard, from the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, will be conferred the award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Scientists at a ceremony this week.

Fellowship is awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the areas of thought leadership, practical application or policy development in the social sciences. It follows nomination by scholars and practitioners from academia and the public and private sectors and an extensive peer review process of the impact of an individual’s work for public benefit.

Professor Maloney, who is an expert on political participation and the politics of organized interests, said: “I am delighted to receive the distinguished conferment of the Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences. The peer recognition as ‘An internationally-renowned scholar in the areas of civil society organisations, social capital and political participation’ is a major highlight of my academic career. I look forward to playing a full and active role in supporting the Academy’s promotion of the social sciences.”

Professor Pollard, a professor of economic geography in the University’s Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS), has led much research on the geo-economic, political and social constitution of financial networks, new sub-prime debt markets and questions around the diversity of financial inclusion and credit provision for low income groups.

Professor Pollard said: "I am delighted to have been nominated by the Royal Geographical Society and to have received this Fellowship in recognition of my scholarship. I look forward to contributing to the Academy of Social Sciences, both in furthering its support of the social sciences generally, and also to advance my own field of understanding the role of finance in economic and social development in these turbulent times."

The Academy of Social Sciences is the national academy of academics, learned societies and practitioners in the social sciences. There are around 1100 individual Fellows, comprising the UK’s leading social scientists.