معرفی
Dr. Susan Oman serves as Senior Lecturer in Data, AI and Society at the University of Sheffield's School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations, where she joined in 2019 after holding consecutive AHRC fellowships at the Sheffield Methods Institute (2019) and University of Leeds (2018). Her work bridges sociological theory with practical data applications across policy domains.
Her educational background includes a BA in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art, an MA in Cultural Policy and Management from City University London, and a PhD from the University of Manchester (2017) investigating cultural politics of participation and well-being metrics. She was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Manchester's Institute of Cultural Practices for her cultural sector research.
Oman's research critically examines how data functions in policy contexts, with sustained focus on well-being, loneliness, inequality, and class dynamics. She challenges assumptions about data usage through methodologically rigorous projects emphasizing real-world impact, particularly in creative industries and cultural policy. Her work consistently addresses power structures in data practices while developing frameworks for ethical implementation.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals evolving emphasis from foundational well-being metrics (2021) toward intersectional data approaches (2023) and AI governance (2025), with growing attention to digital inclusion and practitioner interventions in data power structures. The Living with Data project forms a central thread connecting her empirical work on public data perceptions.
Her scientific recognition includes:
- AHRC Fellowship at Sheffield Methods Institute (2019)
- AHRC Fellowship at University of Leeds (2018)
- Honorary Fellowship, Institute of Cultural Practices, University of Manchester
Oman has secured significant research funding including AHRC projects on creative economy data and a Wellcome Trust systematic review on cultural sector well-being metrics. She established the Culture Insights Managers network supporting data practitioners in cultural organizations and serves as co-Investigator on the Living with Data project. Her media commentary in The Guardian and Arts Professional demonstrates tangible policy influence, particularly regarding Arts Council England's socio-economic monitoring initiatives.
As Research, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Sheffield, she integrates critical perspectives into teaching modules INF110 (Data Science Foundations) and INF6033 (Data and Society), challenging students to examine data's political dimensions. Her professional affiliations include the PKP network of female policy researchers and Edinburgh University's SKAPE centre for Science, Knowledge and Policy.
