Professor Helen Kennedy is among 40 outstanding social scientists who have been recognised for excellence in their fields of research and wider contributions to the social sciences for public benefit.
The Academy of Social Sciences is the national academy of academics, practitioners and learned societies in the social sciences. The fellowship is made up of distinguished individuals from academic, public, private and third sectors, across the full spectrum of the social sciences. Through leadership, scholarship, applied research, policymaking, and practice, they have helped to deepen the understanding of, and address, some of the toughest challenges facing our society and the world.
Helen joined the Department of Sociological Studies as a Faculty Research Chair in Digital Society in November 2014.
For more than 20 years, Helen has researched how developments in digital technology are experienced in everyday life. Much of her research has been informed by forms of digital inequity and mechanisms for change and resistance, for example, class, gender, race, disability, digital labour, digital identity and digital representation. Helen is currently directing the Living With Data programme of research which aims to understand what it’s like to live with data and related phenomena like AI and automation.
Responding to the news of her conferment to the Fellowship, Helen simply said:
‘It’s an honour! I am unusually lost for words.’
Professor Helen Kennedy
Professor in Digital Society
All Academy Fellows are conferred following independent and robust peer review by the Academy’s Nominations Committee. They are selected on the basis of the substantial contributions they have made to policy and practice, and for going above and beyond the normal requirements of their roles.
The Academy of Social Sciences is delighted to welcome an excellent range of highly distinguished social scientists to join our ranks – as the work of social science becomes ever more important. We look forward to engaging with them in our work.”
Will Hutton FAcSS
President, Academy of Social Sciences