Professor Federico Varese appointed new Head of Department

The Department of Sociology has elected Federico Varese, Professor of Criminology and Senior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, as the new Head of Department. He will start the appointment in October 2021, taking over from Professor Christiaan Monden.

Varese said: “I am honoured to be taking on the role of Head of Department. I look forward to working together with my colleagues to ensure the Department continues to deliver high academic standards in teaching and research and furthers our commitment to promoting equality and enhancing diversity. I plan to build on the many achievements of Christiaan Monden who has successfully led the department during this exceptional time.” 

Federico Varese’s research focuses on the study of organised crime. He was recently awarded a major ERC Advanced Grant for a project which explores how organised crime groups produce, trade and govern in diverse contexts across the world. Varese has published papers in numerous journals, is the author of three monographs about the mafia, and sits on the editorial board of The British Journal of Criminology.