Ten Cambridge academics were elected Fellows of the British Academy today for their achievements in humanities and social sciences research.
The British Academy is the UK's national body for the humanities and social sciences – the study of peoples, cultures and societies, past, present and future. Fellows represent the very best researchers in related fields, in the UK and globally.
Nearly a quarter of the 42 new UK Fellows of the British Academy (FBA) announced today have affiliations with Cambridge, with the remaining Fellows chosen from 22 other institutions. Their research areas span a wide range of subjects, from social mobility to ancient philosophy.
Two fellows of Jesus College join the 1,400 leading national and international academics honoured by the British Academy to date.
Professor Alison Bashford, Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History, was recognised for her research in modern world history, 19th and 20th century environmental history, population and historical thought.
She said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be elected FBA, and look forward with real pleasure to contributing to the work of the Academy.”
Professor Anna Vignoles, Professor of Education and Director of Research at the Faculty of Education, was elected for her contribution to the fields of economics of education, inequality in education and labour market outcomes, educational efficiency, school and teacher effectiveness and social mobility.
She commented: “I am of course delighted and deeply honoured to be elected to the British Academy and look forward to playing an active role in such an esteemed institution."
Fellow of Sidney Sussex College and professor of American history Gary Gerstle was honoured for his research on political thought, institutions and conflict in 19th and 20th century America.
Professor Ned Lebow’s work into cultural and psychological foundations of political behaviour and its analysis was recognised in his election to the fellowship. He is a Bye-Fellow of Pembroke College.
Professor Adam Ledgeway, Professor of Italian and Romance Linguistics and Chair of the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages, was also elected an FAB. The British Academy cited his work in comparative history and morphosyntax of the Romance languages, Italian and Romance dialectology, Latin, Italo-Greek; syntactic theory, linguistic change and language contact. He is a Fellow of Downing College.
Bye-Fellow of Newnham College Professor MM McCabe was elected for her research into ancient philosophy, specifically Plato’s metaphysics, and the philosophy of medicine.
Professor Ulinka Rublack, Professor of Early Modern European History and Fellow of St John’s College, was recognised by the British Academy for her expertise in cultural, social and religious history of the early modern world and her comparative work on protestantism and on material culture.
Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology and Professorial Fellow of Clare Hall, Professor Barbara Sahakian was elected a Fellow for her research into cognition motivation and their interaction in neurological and psychiatric disorders and brain injury. Additionally, recognition has been given to her interest in engaging the public in science and the impact of neuroscience on society.
Life Fellow of Corpus Christi College Professor Sir Hew Strachan was elected for his long career researching European military history of the 19th and 20th centuries and modern strategic studies.
Dr Tessa Webber, University Reader in Palaeography in the Faculty of History, became a Fellow in recognition of her research into the palaeography of western medieval manuscripts and documents, as well as her focus on the history of medieval books, book-collections and libraries. Dr Webber is a Fellow of Trinity College.
Today also marks the start of Clare College and Christ’s College Honorary Fellow Professor Sir David Cannadine's four-year term as President of the British Academy.
The full list of Fellows can be found here.