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Professor Elizabeth Murphy (left) and Professor Kevin Lee (right), both recently honoured with the title of Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Distinguished University of Leicester academics honoured

Award is mark of distinction in Social Science

Issued on 30 October 2009

Pictures of Kevin Lee and Elizabeth Murphy available on request email pt91@le.ac.uk

The Academy of Social Sciences, which is the voice of the social sciences in the UK for the public benefit, has announced the conferment of the award of Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences on 64 new Academicians - including two distinguished academics from the University of Leicester - drawn from right across the social science spectrum. The award is for making a significant contribution to the social sciences and is by nomination and peer group review.

Professor Kevin Lee, Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Enterprise and Professor of Economics, and Professor Elizabeth Murphy, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Science, are among the University’s distinguished academics to he honoured.

Professor Lee said: ““I am honoured to receive this award for my contribution to the Social Sciences. As an economist, I am proud of the skills and techniques my discipline can bring to bear to understanding individual behaviour and to helping to resolve the big issues of the day. But the problems and opportunities arising out of the financial crisis, globalisation, international security issues and so on requires expertise from a wide range of disciplines. The Academy of Social Sciences provides an excellent forum for interested people from all parts of the Social Sciences to meet and discuss these topics and I am very pleased to join such an eminent group of academics and public and private sector practitioners.”

Professor Murphy added: “I am delighted to have been invited to become an Academician and to join a group of such distinguished colleagues. The Academy offers an important focus for discussion and debate among the various social science disciplines about the wide range of challenges which confront us today.

Speaking about the conferment, the Chair of Council, Professor Cary Cooper CBE AcSS, said:

“I am delighted that we are able to confer the award on such a significant number of distinguished new Academicians. The social sciences have a vital contribution to make towards some of the big issues facing society today, such as sustainability, crime, communities and individual fulfillment and well-being. Conferment of the award will give confidence that the contributions made by Academicians to knowledge production and transfer are well founded, because that are based on rigorous peer group review of the available evidence.”

Notes to Editors

1. The Academy of Social Sciences is the voice of the social sciences in the UK for the public benefit.
2. The social sciences encompass all aspects of what it is to be socially human, ranging from the understanding of individual brain functions through to the issues of living together in communities and finally large scale social movements which affect the whole of society.
3. There are 34 learned society members of the Academy and over 600 individual Academicians as well as a number of Affiliate members.
4. The Academy confers the Award twice a year.
5. Recepients of the Award are drawn from academic, policy making and practioner backgrounds.