Samuel Merrill

Samuel Merrill is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology, Umeå University. His interdisciplinary research focuses on digital and cultural sociology, with expertise in social movements, collective memory, cultural heritage, and digital media. He holds a PhD in Cultural Geography from University College London (2014), alongside degrees from Brandenburg Technical University (2009) and the University of Birmingham (2006). His work examines the intersections of memory, activism, and digital technologies, particularly in contexts of social justice, urban space, and far-right discourses.

**Research Interests**:
- Digital commemoration practices
- Memory activism and contested heritage
- Far-right digital politics
- Subterranean urban spaces and their mnemonic dimensions
- Memes as political tools

**Current Projects**: Leads initiatives like PastForward (Nordic futures and digital past discourses) and AI and Social Memory. Coordinates courses on qualitative research methods and digital sociology.

**Awards**: Winner of the Peter Lang 2014 Young Scholar in Memory Studies award for his PhD thesis, leading to his monograph Networked Remembrance (2017). His work bridges theoretical rigor with empirical analysis of digital age mnemonic practices.

**Grants and Collaboration**: Involved in projects funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and Formas. Collaborates internationally on topics like algorithmic radicalization, AI-driven memory, and far-right media framing.

**Affiliations**: Member of research groups including Digital Sociology, Political Sociology, and AI & Society. Engaged with institutions globally through conferences, editorial roles, and interdisciplinary partnerships.