Congratulations to Hertford Fellow Louise Slater
18 October 2024
Double celebrations are in order for Hertford Geography Fellow Professor Louise Slater, as she has been awarded a prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize and appointed as the new Associate Head (Research and Impact) of the Social Sciences Division.
Louise’s research focuses on river flooding, drought, and climate extremes. She edits the journals Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS) and Earth’s Future, serves as a Science Officer for the European Geosciences Union, and chairs the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group on UK Flood Hydrology.
In her new position as Associate Head, Louise will guide the Social Sciences Division in enhancing research quality and diversifying funding for strategic initiatives. She will also focus on improving research culture and career pathways while fostering engagement and innovation with various external partners to boost research impact.
Professor Louise Slater says, “I am excited to take on this new role, to support research across the Division, and to showcase the strength and impact of our work in the upcoming REF. I would like to extend my particular thanks to Professor Heather Viles for her exceptional leadership in the role over the past four years.”
The Philip Leverhulme Prize is awarded to outstanding research scholars whose future careers are exceptionally promising. Only 30 prizes are awarded throughout the UK each year, with the 2024 prizes covering the following subject areas: Classics, Earth Sciences, Physics, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, and Visual and Performing Arts.
She added, “Receiving the Philip Leverhulme Prize is an exciting acknowledgment of the incredible students, early career researchers, and collaborators that I have had the privilege of working with. I am genuinely optimistic about how artificial intelligence and machine learning can help us better understand and prepare for some of the impacts of the climate crisis, such as heavy rainfall, extreme heat, and flooding.”
Well done Louise for these two very prestigious accolades!