History

Geography at Nottingham has a long and distinguished history. The Geography department was established in 1934, although degrees in Geography had first been awarded in 1922 under the auspices of a combined Geology and Geography department of the then University College Nottingham. The student Geographical Society actually predates the formal department, having been set up in 1923!  K.C. Edwards was appointed to the first Chair of Geography in the University of Nottingham in 1949 and held the post until his retirement in 1970. The department became a School in August 1998.  In line with the overall philosophy of the University of Nottingham, the School of Geography is research-led and was ranked 6th in the UK in terms of research power in the latest research assessment exercise (RAE 2008), with 60% of its research recognised as being internationally excellent or world leading. The staff are, however, equally committed to teaching, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  The current (2008-2011) Head of School is Professor Sarah Metcalfe.

The School of Geography is now home to the Centre for Environmental Management (formed in 1996).  Between 1954-2000 the department published the regional journal East Midland Geographer.  The School is the headquarters for the UK’s Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society. The School runs CABERNET - Europe's Sustainable Brownfield Regeneration Network.  Geography is also playing a leading role in the University of Nottingham’s Centre for the Environment.

Geography moved into its current accommodation in the Sir Clive Granger Building on its construction in 1967 as the social sciences building, including staff offices, lecture theatres, the university map library, physical laboratories and computing facilities.  The building is now shared by Geography with the School of Economics.  The School’s physical laboratories have been significantly expanded over recent years with the completion of the undergraduate Swinnerton Laboratory in 2004 and the redevelopment of the Cuchlaine King Research Laboratory in 2006.  The David Ebdon Computing Laboratory gives Geography students exclusive access to more than 97 high specification PCs.

The School currently has 39 academic staff, more than 60 PhD students and 25 research Masters students.  There is also a range of  taught Masters programmes.  Research is organised around five research themes (Cultural and Historical Geography, New Economic Geographies, Environment and Society, Environmental and Geomorphological Sciences and Geographical Information Science). Each theme provides a focus for different parts of the School’s research community, although there is considerable overlap between them reflecting our emphasis on trans-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research.  Geography at Nottingham provides a stimulating environment for students and staff alike based on high standards of innovative teaching and research.