Linguist received top social science honour
27 April 2022
A linguist at the University of Reading who has contributed research in areas of health communication, digital literacies, and language and creativity has been made a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Professor Rodney Jones, a sociolinguist at the University of Reading was named among leading social scientists which have been conferred to the Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences. Professor Jones joins 47 newly elected Fellows are selected through an independent peer review which recognises their excellence and impact, including their wider contributions to social sciences for public benefit.
Professor Rodney Jones said:
“This fellowship is a prestigious honour and I am delighted to receive this award in recognition of my research. Language shapes the way we understand the world, from how we best share messages about our health to the way we portray ourselves in an increasingly online world. I am thrilled that this work has been recognised as I join distinguished academics in the Academy of Social Sciences.”
Professor Jones’ research highlights:
- In Hong Kong he led in health communication and intervention work on adolescent drug abuse, HIV/AIDS prevention and the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS, advising NGOs and government departments on AIDS prevention strategies and contributing to the Hong Kong Community Planning Process on AIDS Prevention and Care. He has also organised workshops for healthcare workers, NGO workers, and members of vulnerable populations.
- His recent work in health communication has focused on food labelling and the regulation of health information about food in six different European languages through a €1.6 million project funded by European Institute of Innovation and Technology with Rodney as PI.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, he conducted research on government/political communication around the crisis and led a British Academy funded study focusing on the intercultural dimensions of health communication among Chinese students living in the UK during the pandemic. He helped to articulate the role of discourse analysts in health crises in his 2021 edited collection Viral Discourse, published by Cambridge University Press.
The Academy’s Fellowship comprises distinguished social scientists from academia and the public, private and third sectors. They are drawn from across the full spectrum of the social sciences. Through leadership, scholarship, applied research, policymaking, and practice, they have helped to deepen understanding of and address some of the toughest challenges facing our society and the world.
Will Hutton FAcSS, President of the Academy of Social Sciences, said:
“The Academy of Social Sciences is delighted to welcome the Spring 2022 group of new Fellows to join our ranks – representing an excellent range of highly distinguished social scientists. We look forward to engaging with them in our work.”
Read more about the Academy of Social Sciences awarding of new fellowships at:
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