2025 medal and award recipients announced today, Monday 12 May
Eminent polar explorer and communicator, B酶rge Ousland, and distinguished human geographer, Professor Susan J. Smith, have been awarded the Society鈥檚 two prestigious Royal Medals. These are part of a series of awards that recognise extraordinary achievement in geographical research, fieldwork and expeditions, teaching, policy, professional practice and public engagement.
The Royal Medals, which are of equal standing, have been approved by His Majesty the King, and are among the highest honours of their kind in the world. They have been presented since the 1830s and past recipients include Sir David Attenborough, Dame Fiona Reynolds and Lindsey Hilsum.
B酶rge Ousland is awarded the 2025 Founder鈥檚 Medal in recognition of his unparalleled contributions to polar exploration. Over the course of four decades, B酶rge has explored, documented and shared his experiences in the Arctic and Antarctica while consistently pushing the boundaries of human endurance. Beyond individual feats, such as crossing Antarctica without support in just 64 days, his observations and documentation have been invaluable to the scientific community and public understanding of global environmental issues.
Professor Dame Jane Francis, President of the Royal Geographical Society, said: 鈥淏酶rge鈥檚 polar expeditions have set new standards and greatly advanced our understanding of the polar regions. Through his books, films and lectures, he has not only shared valuable insights into the changing Arctic environment, he has also inspired countless individuals. B酶rge鈥檚 work embodies the spirit of exploration and scientific inquiry that the Founder鈥檚 Medal represents.鈥�
B酶rge Ousland said he was 鈥渉onoured and humbled鈥� when news of the award reached him while on an expedition in the Canadian Arctic.
Professor Susan J. Smith receives the 2025 Patron鈥檚 Medal for her encouragement and promotion of excellence in geographical science. Throughout her career, Susan has made critically insightful contributions that have shaped geographical inquiry into issues as diverse as ethnic residential segregation, health inequalities, and the geographies of crime, as well as concerns about housing finance, the cultural politics of music, and emotional geographies. Beyond her outstanding intellectual and scholarly contributions, Susan has represented and promoted the discipline of geography through significant leadership roles including as Mistress of Girton College (Cambridge) and Director of the Institute of Advanced Study (Durham).
Dame Jane said: 鈥淪usan鈥檚 scholarship is theoretically and conceptually sophisticated, empirically rich and grounded, and highly insightful, with impacts that reach well outside the discipline 鈥� many of those she has supervised and mentored now work in government policy roles. Susan has been a truly exceptional leader in shaping the contemporary discipline of geography, and the Patron鈥檚 Medal is a fitting recognition of her achievements.鈥�
Professor Susan Smith said: 鈥淚 feel so lucky to have 鈥榙iscovered鈥� geography 鈥� an energising, outward-looking discipline, open to new ideas, always tilting towards fairer, more sustainable futures. It鈥檚 not hard to encourage or promote a subject that you are passionate about! Still, I鈥檓 bowled over to receive the Patron鈥檚 medal from the Society which is, in truth, a tribute to the patience and brilliance of teachers, colleagues, students, family and friends too numerous to list.鈥�
This year, the Society鈥檚 medals and awards recognise 24 outstanding people for their notable contributions to geography. Other recipients include:听
- Ana-Maria Pavalache, who receives the Cherry Kearton Medal and Award for her use of photography to enrich our understanding of the natural world and explore the complexities of human experience.
- Professor Dariusz W贸jcik, who receives the Murchison Award for his body of publications on the economic geographies of money and finance, which have forged a whole new branch of geographical science.听
- Oliver Uberti, who receives the Geographical Engagement Award for his creation of maps and data visualisations that not only inform but also inspire us to think about the world differently and, crucially, to care about it.听
- Phoebe Smith, who receives the Ness Award for her promotion of accessible adventure, particularly to women and those from under-privileged communities, encouraging them to engage with nature in a thoughtful and conscious way.
- Preet Chandi MBE, who receives the Geographical Award in recognition of the impact her expeditions have had in inspiring young people.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. 听 听For further media enquiries, including image requests, please contact the Society鈥檚 Director of Communications, Caitlin Watson, on +44 (0)77 1478 3126 or press@rgs.org 听
2. 听 听The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) is the learned society and professional body for geography. Formed in 1830 for 'the advancement of geographical science', today we deliver this objective through developing, supporting and promoting geographical research, expeditions and fieldwork, education, professional practice, public engagement, and geography input to policy. We aim to foster an understanding and informed enjoyment of our world. We hold the world's largest private geographical collection and provide public access to it. We have a thriving Fellowship and Membership and offer the professional accreditation 'Chartered Geographer鈥�. www.rgs.org听
3. 听 听The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)鈥檚 prestigious medals and awards recognise excellence in geographical research and fieldwork, teaching, public engagement, policy and professional practice. They are presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding achievements. Recipients join a prestigious list that includes Sir Alexander Burnes, Freya Stark, Alfred Russel Wallace, Captain R. Scott and more recently Professor Heather Viles, Professor Yadvinder Malhi, Dr Sylvia Earle, Professor Diana Liverman, Sir Crispin Tickell and Sir David Attenborough. www.rgs.org/medals.
4. 听 听His Majesty the King approves the award of the Royal Medals 鈥� the Founder鈥檚 Medal and the Patron鈥檚 Medal 鈥� each year.
5. 听 听The medals and awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Society in London on Monday 2 June. Photos taken at the ceremony will be available from the Society鈥檚 press office on Tuesday 3 June.听
6. 听 听The full list of the 2025 medals and awards recipients is as follows:
Royal Medals
His Majesty the King has approved the award of the Royal Medals as follows:
Royal Medal - Founder鈥檚 Medal
- B酶rge Ousland for the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery.
Royal Medal - Patron鈥檚 Medal
- Professor Susan J. Smith for the encouragement and promotion of geographical science and discovery.
Council awards
The Society鈥檚 Council has made the following awards:
Victoria Medal
- Professor Gillian Rose for conspicuous merit in research in geography.
Busk Medal
- Professor Murray Gray for conservation research in geography.
Cherry Kearton Medal and Award
- Ana-Maria Pavalache for contributions to the public鈥檚 understanding of the wider world through photography.
Murchison Award
- Professor Dariusz W贸jcik for substantial and highly influential published work in recent years.
Back Award
- Professor Mark Green for applied or scientific geographical studies which make an outstanding contribution to the development of national or international public policy.
Cuthbert Peek Award
- Professor Chris Sandbrook for advancing geographical knowledge of human impact on the environment through contemporary methods.
Gill Memorial Award (two awards)
- Dr Sihan Li for exceptional early career research with a remarkable track record of achievement.
- Dr Caitlin Robinson for exceptional early career research with a remarkable track record of achievement.
Ordnance Survey Award (two awards)
- Chlo毛 Searl in recognition of excellence in geography education at the secondary level.
- Paul Logue in recognition of excellence in geography education at the secondary level.
Taylor & Francis Award
- Professor Katie Willis for excellence in the promotion and practice of teaching and learning in higher education.
Ness Award
- Phoebe Smith for popularising geography and the wider understanding of our world and its environments.
Alfred Steers Dissertation Prize
- Ben Kosky for an outstanding undergraduate dissertation in geography: 鈥楤eyond the clouds: leveraging SAR and cloud computing for rapid flood mapping鈥�.
Area Prize
- Palden Tsering for the best paper published in the journal by an early career researcher: 鈥楬ybrid rangeland governance: connecting policies with practices in pastoral China鈥�.
Ron Cooke Award
- Claudia Acker for an outstanding independent investigation at A Level: 鈥楾o what extent does the carbon content of trees differ between urban woodlands in Highgate Wood, London, and rural woodlands in Parnholt Wood, Hampshire?鈥�.
Geographical Award
- Harpreet (Preet) Chandi MBE for expeditions that have had a significant impact in inspiring young people and the public.
Professional Geography Award
- Dr Robert Muir-Wood for recognition of excellence in the use of geography in professional practice.
Geographical Engagement Award
- Oliver Uberti for excellence in public engagement in relation to geographical issues.
Honorary Fellowship
- Professor Rachel Franklin
- Professor Tony Champion
- Professor Laura Pulido
- Professor Michael Woods
For service to geography.