Double congratulations to Darwin Fellow Professor Chris Sandbrook, who has been awarded the Royal Geographical Society Cuthbert Peek Award 2025, and has also been appointed as Director of the Conservation Research Institute.
The award, announced yesterday, recognises those who advance geographical knowledge of human impact on the environment through the application of contemporary methods, including those of earth observation and mapping.
“Receiving the Cuthbert Peek Award is a great honour that highlights the value of social research on the relationship between people and the environment at a time of crisis for the natural world,” said Chris. “I am deeply grateful to all the students and collaborators with whom I have worked and who have made this award possible.”
Chris’s appointment as Director of Conservation Research Institute will take immediate effect. The CRI is an interdisciplinary community of world-leading scholars with an interest in conservation. It brings together colleagues from various intellectual backgrounds and traditions, to address global biodiversity challenges through ambitious research which bridges multiple disciplines.
The CRI is also one of the founding members of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, of which the Master, Dr Mike Rands, was the first Executive Director
Chris’s own background is interdisciplinary, encompassing anthropology, zoology, biology and geography. He is currently the course Director for the MPhil in Conservation Leadership, and is a Professor of Conservation and Society in the Department of Geography.
He said of his appointment:
“It is very exciting to be taking up this important role. The institute brings together scholars working on conservation from multiple disciplines across the university. I am looking forward to working with students and staff to foster transdisciplinary research in partnership with members of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. Together we can deliver new knowledge that has a real impact for nature – including for people.”
