Stephen Cranefield is a Professor of Information Science at the University of Otago, New Zealand. He holds a BSc(Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Otago, and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses on socially aware computing: developing techniques for modelling, reasoning and implementing software that can understand the social context of its interactions with other agents (both software and human) in its society. He is an associate editor of the journal Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems and the IEEE Technology & Society Magazine.