Following an international search, King’s is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda McKie, Professor of Social and Public Policy, as the new Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy (SSPP).

Professor Linda McKie is Dean and Head of School of the School of Social and Political Sciences and Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to joining Edinburgh in 2017, Professor McKie was Head of the School of Applied Social Sciences at Durham University where she also held the role of Director of Research prior to that. In 2004 she was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) and she has chaired grant award panels for a range of UK and EU funding bodies including the Academy of Finland, ESRC and EU COST.

Professor McKie is currently Principal Investigator on the UKRI, Healthy Ageing Programme Grant on Healthier Working Lives and Ageing for Workers in the Care Sector: Developing Careers, enhancing Continuity, Promoting Wellbeing and is also working with the Advanced Care Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh on transitions in care. Linda is also a Co-Investigator on the project Beyond 10,000 Steps, led by University of Edinburgh Business School which seeks to understand ways in which health needs can be addressed to enable productive later-life employment. This project is also funded as part of the UKRI Healthy Ageing programme.

 

Professor Evelyn Welch, Provost & Senior Vice President (Arts & Sciences), said: ‘Professor McKie will be joining a Faculty with significant strength and depth and one of the largest, most diverse and international communities for social research and education in Europe. This is a key role for King’s as well as for the Faculty: in the months and years ahead, SSPP will continue to play a crucial role in delivering King’s Vision 2029 as a multi-disciplinary community that seeks to understand a profoundly changing world and make a tangible contribution to improving human welfare and well-being, security and sustainability.’

Professor Mckie, said: ‘This is an exciting and challenging period for social, political and policy sciences. Drawing upon the experiences, enthusiasm, and energy of the SSPP community, I am delighted to be joining King’s as Executive Dean and to lead the Faculty towards the bicentenary of King’s in 2029.’

Professor McKie will commence the role in January 2022 succeeding Professor Frans Berkhout who is stepping down from the role after almost 6 years of distinguished service.