Dominic Abrams, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent, has been elected as a Fellow of the British Academy.
He is one of only 42 new Fellows from 18 different UK universities, each of them a highly distinguished academic, recognised for their outstanding research and work across the humanities and social sciences.
Speaking about the new Fellows, Lord Stern, the new President of the British Academy, said: ‘The humanities and social sciences celebrate the study of what it means to be human and how we relate to the world around us. They can also help us tackle many of the challenges faced in this country and the world as a whole. Our new Fellows, from across the UK and world, are world-class experts in the humanities and social sciences and can play a vital role in sustaining the Academy’s activities – helping select researchers and research projects for funding support, contributing to policy reports and speaking at the Academy’s public events.’
Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent, commented: ‘I warmly congratulate Professor Abrams on his election to such a prestigious position within one of the most respected and important academic institutions in the world. His Fellowship is both a tribute to his research and work within the field of psychology, and his contribution to the social sciences in general.’
Professor Abrams joined the University of Kent in 1989 and was Head of Psychology between 1993 and 1996. He is currently Director of the University’s Centre for the Study of Group Processes. He is also Co-Director of the European Research on Attitudes to Ageing (EURAGE) research group, which designed the 2008 European Social Survey module on attitudes to age, and reports regularly for the government, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Age UK, the UK’s largest charity for older people. He serves on the Council of the Academy of Social Sciences and is Co-Editor of the journal Group Processes and Intergroup Relations. In 2012, he was elected President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) for 2013-14 – the first President in SPSSI’s 76 year history to be based outside North America.
The British Academy (www.britac.ac.uk) is the UK’s national body which champions and supports the humanities and social sciences. It is an independent, self-governing fellowship of scholars, elected for their distinction in research and publication. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.
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