November 2, 2016

Prestigious honour for pioneer of social research

A curiosity about the motivations and interactions of people has led to a distinguished career in social science and the humanities for Professor Hugh Mackay.

A psychologist, best-selling author and social research practitioner, Professor Mackay today (Wednesday 2 November) delivered the Occasional Address to a crowd of social science graduates, giving some insight to a topic he has dedicated his life to exploring.

“Social science has the inspiring job of trying to understand how human interactions work, and how our need for that sense of connectedness and belonging can best be satisfied,” he said.

“The world is our laboratory. We watch and listen. We seek evidence for theories. And it’s our reliance on evidence that equips us to do what people so badly want us to do: Explain them to themselves.”

Professor Mackay joined UOW in 2011 as an Honorary Professor of Social Science with the UOW Institute for Innovation in Business and Social Research, where he was involved in a range of initiatives including research projects, public lectures on social issues and mentoring early career researchers. He worked tirelessly to build the public image of the social sciences at UOW and in 2014, he played an instrumental role in the successful launch of the Faculty’s newest generalist degree offering - the Bachelor of Social Science.

Professor Mackay has dedicated his life to the social sciences, and at the 2015 Australia Day Honours he was recognised for his work and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, for distinguished service to the community in the areas of social research and psychology.

His work has explored a range of social themes, from immigration patterns, to the transformation of working life, to changes in gender roles and evolving family structures. He has published a number of best-selling books and established the Mackay Report in 1979, a quarterly report on qualitative social research.

Academia isn’t the only field Professor Mackay has dedicated his time to; he has also acted as a Patron of the Asylum Seekers Centre, as Deputy Chairman of the Australia Council, Chairman of Trustees of Sydney Grammar School and the inaugural Chairman of the ACT Government’s Community Inclusion Board. He is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Market and Social Research Society of Australia.

Professor Mackay was today (Wednesday 2 November 2016) presented with the award of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, for his outstanding contribution to social research and his valued contribution to UOW.