The Department of

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

is one of the constituent departments of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and is located on the Downing Site. The department has long had an international reputation as a leading centre of research and is consistently ranked as one of the best geography departments in the UK. In 2022 the department was ranked by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' University Rankings as the best geography undergraduate degree in the country.University guide 2023: Geography. ''The Guardian'' (24 Sep 2022)
(accessed 12 Dec 2022)

History

There is a long tradition of geography at Cambridge stretching back to the first University Lecturer in Geography appointed in 1888. Teaching was initially for a special examination leading to a diploma in geography. The Geographical

Tripos At the University of Cambridge, a Tripos (, plural 'Triposes') is any of the examinations that qualify an undergraduate for a bachelor's degree or the courses taken by a student to prepare for these. For example, an undergraduate studying mat ...

- the examination for a B.A. degree - was established in 1919. In 1931 the first professor was appointed and in 1933 the department moved into its own accommodation. That building, which now constitutes the eastern end of the department, was considerably extended in the 1930s, with the construction of new lecture theatres and laboratories. In the 1980s, the building was further extended with the addition of a top floor to provide a new laboratory for computing, remote sensing and geographical information systems. In 1999 the department expanded again, to occupy two floors in an adjacent building where new laboratories, seminar rooms and offices are housed. Since then, the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure (CAMPOP) has been integrated into the teaching and research activities of the Department (2001), and the

Scott Polar Research Institute The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) is a centre for research into the polar regions and glaciology worldwide. It is a sub-department of the Department of Geography in the University of Cambridge, located on Lensfield Road in the south ...

became a sub-department in 2002. Today, the Department has 35 academic staff including ten professors and four readers.

Research

Research in the department is organised in the following thematic research groups: * Vital Geographies * Infrastructural Geographies * Geographies of Knowledge * Biogeography and Biogeomorphology * Climate and Environmental Dynamics * Glaciology and Glacial Geology

Notable alumni and staff

The department has produced a large range of notable alumni, including

David Harvey David W. Harvey (born 31 October 1935) is a British-born Marxist economic geographer, podcaster and Distinguished Professor of anthropology and geography at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). He received his P ...

, the world's most cited academic geographer, and winner of the

Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud The ''Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud'', known in English as the Vautrin Lud Prize, is the highest award in the field of geography. Established in 1991, the award is named after the 16th Century French scholar . The award is given i ...

. Other notable alumni and staff include: File:Richard Chorley.jpg, File:Frank Debenham.jpg, File:Sir Peter Hall.jpg, File:David Harvey2.jpg, File:James Mann Wordie - c. 1914.jpg, *

Dawn Airey Dawn Elizabeth Airey (born 15 November 1960) is a British media executive, sports administrator and independent company director. She chairs the Barclays FA Women's Super League and Championship board, the National Youth Theatre and the educat ...

Ash Amin Ash Amin, (born 31 October 1955) is a British academic known for his writing on urban and regional development, contemporary cultural change, progressive politics, and the collaborative economy. He holds the 1931 chair at the Department of Geogr ...

* John Barrett *

Anthony Bebbington Anthony Bebbington (born 1962) is a geographer, International Director for Natural Resources and Climate Change at the Ford Foundation and Higgins Professor of Environment and Society in the Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, USA (on ...

* Piers Blaikie * William Maurice Brown * Paul Brummell * Sylvia Chant *

Richard Chorley Richard John Chorley (4 September 1927 – 12 May 2002) was an English geographer, and Professor of Geography at Cambridge University, known as leading figure in quantitative geography in the late 20th century, who played an instrumental role in ...

* Miles Clark * Roger Clarke * Mark Cleary * John Terence Coppock *

Bernie Cotton Bernard James Cotton (born 30 June 1948) is a field hockey coach and former player and captain. He won 73 caps for England and 54 for Great Britain, representing the country at the 1972 Summer Olympics.Philip Cox Philip Sutton Cox (born 1 October 1939) is an Australian architect. Cox is the founding partner of Cox Architecture, one of the largest architectural practices in Australia. He commenced his first practice with Ian McKay in 1962, and ...

* Mike Crang *

Gabriel Crouch Gabriel Crouch is a British baritone, choral conductor, and record producer. Early life Gabriel Crouch was born on 19 September 1973. Musically inclined since the age of eight, he joined the choir of Westminster Abbey. He became the Head Choris ...

Frank Debenham Frank Debenham, OBE (26 December 1883 – 23 November 1965) was Emeritus Professor of Geography at the Department of Geography, Cambridge University and first director of the Scott Polar Research Institute. Biography Debenham was born in B ...

* Hugh Dennis * Robin Donkin * Julian A. Dowdeswell * George Freeman * Phil Gibbard * Andrew Goudie * Derek Gregory * Peter Haggett * Peter Hall * John Heap * Michael Heffernan * Bronwyn Hill * Mike Kirkby * Hal Lister * Sylvia Law *

Huw Lewis-Jones Huw Lewis-Jones (born 2 May 1980) is a British historian, editor, broadcaster and art director. Formerly a historian and Curator of Art at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lewis-Jones left Cambridge in June 2010 to pur ...

* Paul Madden * Gordon Manley * Ron Martin * Ann Mather * Michael Mortimore * John Noble * James Oldfield * Joe Painter *

Chris Philo Chris Philo FAcSS (born 1960) is Professor of Geography at the Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences, the University of Glasgow. Philo graduated from the Sidney Sussex College of Cambridge University and became a Research Fellow there. ...

Luke Piper Luke Piper (born 1966) is an English landscape painter, especially in watercolours. ''The Guardian'' newspaper has described him as "''arts establishment aristocracy''". Biography Luke Piper is the son of the painter Edward Piper. He is also th ...

Matthew Price Matthew William Price (born 5 June 1972 in Hampstead, London) is a British journalist who currently works as Chief Correspondent for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. Education Matthew Price was educated at The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' Scho ...

* Sarah A. Radcliffe * Phil Rees * Chris Robinson *

John Rymill John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...

* Susan J. Smith *

Oskar Spate Oskar Hermann Khristian Spate (30 March 191129 May 2000) was a geographer best known for his role in strengthening geography as a discipline in Australia and the Pacific. Early life Spate was born to a German father and an English mother in the ...

* Ken Sykora *

Sam Toy Sam Toy (21 August 1923 – 24 March 2008) was a British industrialist who was chair of Ford Motor Company UK from 1980 until 1986. He presided over Ford at a time it faced competition from British Leyland, and saw Ford make their last Cortina ...

* Piers Vitebsky *

Andrew Warren Andrew Marvin Warren (born 1967; Chesapeake, Virginia) is a former CIA operative, who served as CIA station chief in Algiers, Algeria, during 2007–2008. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault of two women and the following year ...

George T. Whitesides George Thomas Whitesides was CSO (Chief Space Officer) and long time CEO of Virgin Galactic, a firm developing commercial space vehicles at the Mojave Air and Space Port. He still serves as a member of the Virgin Galactic Advisory Board. He studi ...

* David Wilshire *

Charles W. J. Withers Charles William John Withers, (born 6 December 1954) is a British historical geographer and academic. He has been the Geographer Royal for Scotland since 2015, and held the Ogilvie Chair of Geography at the University of Edinburgh from 1994 to ...

James Wordie Sir James Mann Wordie CBE FRS FRSGS LLD (26 April 1889 – 16 January 1962) was a Scottish polar explorer and geologist. Friends knew him as Jock Wordie. He was President of the Royal Geographical Society from 1951 to 1954. Early life and e ...

Tony Wrigley Sir Edward Anthony Wrigley (17 August 1931 – 24 February 2022) was a British historical demographer. Wrigley and Peter Laslett co-founded the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure in 1964. Wrigley was born in M ...

References

External links

Official department website
{{Authority control Geography, Department of Geography departments in the United Kingdom