Helen Margetts will become the University of Oxford’s Professor of Society and the Internet in the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) on 1 October 2004, at which time she will also take up a Professorial Fellowship in Mansfield College.
This new position will complement ongoing research on the role of the Internet in governance. Professor Bill Dutton, Director of the OII, sees Professor Margetts’ work on e-government as being “absolutely central to understanding the societal implications of the Internet because electronic connections between governments and citizens have been key to many of the mos significant social issues tied to computers and telecommunications, ranging from privacy and security to service delivery.”
Helen Margetts is a political scientist of international standing in the use by government of the Internet, Web and related information and communication technologies, both internally and to communicate with citizens, businesses and other governments. She has published major research reports in this area for such agencies as the UK’s National Audit Office, in addition to important books and articles. Her dissertation in this area was awarded the Walter Bagehot Dissertation Prize by the UK Political Studies Association in 1997. She was later honoured in 2003 for an award for ‘Political Scientists Making a Difference.’
Professor Margetts joins the OII from her post as a Professor in Political Science and Director of the School of Public Policy at University College London. She began her career as a computer programmer/systems analyst with Rank Xerox after receiving her BSc in mathematics from the University of Bristol. She returned to studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1989, completing an MSc in Politics and Public Policy in 1990 and a PhD in Government in 1996.
Mansfield College occupies one of the most attractive sites in Oxford. The 1886 buildings, which house all the College’s public rooms, are regarded as amongst the finest work of the important Victorian architect, Basil Champneys. Mansfield’s spacious site is close to all the libraries and shops, yet in a quiet position near to the University parks and River Cherwell. The youngest and smallest of the University’s 39 colleges, we are renowned for successfully combining the best of traditional Oxford with our own unique and innovative personality.
