Two academics from The Australian National University (ANU) College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) have been elected Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, recognising their contributions to research, public policy, and creating positive change in society.
Professor Evan Kidd and Honorary Professor Stuart Ward are among 43 new Fellows elected in 2026.
The Fellowship is one of the highest honours in the social sciences, recognising researchers whose work advances knowledge and helps address challenges facing communities in Australia and around the world.
Language, learning and cognition
Professor Evan Kidd (School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics) studies how people learn, understand and use language.
His research examines the way genetic, cognitive and environmental factors shape language learning and processing; from first language development to bilingualism and second language acquisition.
Professor Kidd also shares science with public audiences through media interviews, public lectures, and television. His TEDx Sydney talk, Imaginary Friends, encouraged families to start taking play more seriously; and his child development expertise featured in the first season of Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, which won an International Emmy Award in 2020.
History, empire and Australian identity
Honorary Professor Stuart Ward (School of History) researches how imperialism and decolonisation have shaped societies and national identities.
His work spans colonial contexts across Africa, South Asia, Canada, the Caribbean and Australia, with a particular focus on the decline of European colonial order in the twentieth century.
He has two books examining the impact of global decolonisation on Australian public life, one of which was shortlisted for the Australian Prime Minister's Prize for History.
This article was originally published in the ANU newsroom.
