Oxford Internet Institute

Press Release 22 April 2004

Helen Margetts becomes the University of Oxford's Professor of Society and the Internet at the Oxford Internet Institute and a Fellow at Mansfield College

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 most 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 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 . 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.

Contact:

Helen Margetts through the OII at +44 (0)1865 287 210 or [email protected] http://www.ucl.ac.uk/spp, http://www.governmentontheweb.org

Bill Dutton, Director of the OII at +44 (0)1865 287 210 or [email protected]

Diana Walford, Principal of Mansfield College on +44 (0) 1865 282 894 or [email protected] Notes:

Oxford Internet Institute (www.oii.ox.ac.uk) Since its founding in 2001, the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) has become a leading world centre for the multidisciplinary study of the Internet and society. Its distinctive focus is to understand the social dynamics shaping, and being shaped by, the Internet. The diverse societal implications of the Internet is reflected in the wide range of disciplines and topics within its research team, whose work is targeted within - and across - four key strategic areas of vital public significance: markets, institutions and governance; learning and education; science and networks; and everyday life in the household, wider community and workplace.

Mansfield College (www.mansfield.ox.ac.uk) 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.