Alan Smith becomes Honorary Professor of Practice at UCL Social Data Institute

The UCL Social Data Institute is delighted to announce Alan Smith OBE, Head of Visual and Data Journalism at Financial Times, has become an Honorary Professor of Practice.

Alan Smith is a data visualization specialist and Head of Visual and Data Journalism at the Financial Times. He leads the newsroom team of data reporters and visual journalists. Before joining the FT, Alan was the head of digital content at the UK Office for National Statistics, where he was awarded an OBE in 2011 for services to official statistics.

Ahead of the announcement, Alan Smith said, "I'm delighted to be strengthening my links with UCL and the Social Data Institute. I've been genuinely impressed with the passion for data analysis and communication shown by staff and students alike — these values are at the heart of my own team's work at the Financial Times."

The Director of the Social Data Institute, James Cheshire, was excited to welcome Alan as the Institute's first Honorary Professor of Practice.  "We are thrilled to have Alan join us as a Honorary Professor of Practice at the UCL Social Data Institute. Alan and his team at the Financial Times set the standard for high-quality visual and data journalism and have been hugely supportive of our students within the faculty. The effective communication of complex data to broad audiences has become an integral part of impactful research and we have a huge amount to learn from Alan."