Prof. Dr. Maria Economou | Digital Heritage | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Maria Economou is a leading scholar in Digital Cultural Heritage, serving as Professor at the University of Glasgow  in a joint appointment between Information Studies and The Hunterian, where she co-founded the Digital Cultural Heritage Arts Lab.  she has held the prestigious British Academy/Wolfson Professorial Fellowship, advancing innovative research on emotional engagement with museum collections through digital storytelling and participatory interpretation. Her distinguished career spans senior academic roles at the University of Glasgow , over a decade at the University of the Aegean as Director of the Museology Research Lab, and earlier positions at the University of Manchester and the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. She holds a DPhil from Oxford for pioneering work on multimedia in museums, an MA from Leicester, and a BA from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Prof. Economou is internationally recognized for her contributions to digitisation, immersive technologies, and cultural interpretation, delivering invited talks worldwide and serving as European Commission Expert for Digital Cultural Heritage. She has held leadership roles including Vice-Chair of Universeum and membership in the Europeana Impact Task Force, alongside editorial service for major journals such as Memory, Mind & Media and Museum Worlds. Her influence extends across global funding bodies, PhD examinations, scientific committees, and advisory roles for major cultural projects including Unpath’d Waters and CHARTER. With 1,555 citations, an h-index of 17, and landmark publications such as Heritage in the Digital Age and Moving Beyond the Virtual Museum, she remains a driving force in shaping digital heritage scholarship. Prof. Maria Economou is recognized for her outstanding contributions to research excellence and innovation. She is proudly nominated for the Best Researcher Award in honour of her global impact.