Professor Murray Gray awarded Busk Medal for pioneering work in geodiversity and geoconservation
Professor Murray Gray, a leading figure in the field of geoconservation and Honorary Professor in the School of Geography at Queen Mary University of London, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Busk Medal by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).
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We are proud to congratulate Professor Murray Gray, Honorary Professor in the School of Geography at Queen Mary University of London, on being awarded the 2025 Busk Medal by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).
This prestigious honour recognises Professor Gray’s pioneering work in geoconservation and his influential advocacy for the importance of geodiversity in understanding and protecting the natural world. Over a distinguished career that began at Queen Mary in 1972, Professor Gray has shaped international thinking around the conservation of the Earth's physical landscape — from glacial landforms to the broader concept of geodiversity.
Reflecting on the award, Professor Gray said:
“This award of the Busk Medal is a welcome recognition that conservation research is not just about saving today's biodiversity sites but is also about valuing and conserving places that inform us about the 4.6 billion year history of Earth and about how society benefits from living on a geologically diverse planet.”
Professor Kavita Datta, Head of the School of Geography, commented:
“We are absolutely delighted to see Murray’s outstanding contributions to geography and geoconservation recognised with this prestigious award. His work continues to inspire generations of geographers and environmental scientists at Queen Mary and beyond.”
The medal will be formally presented at the RGS-IBG Awards Ceremony on 2 June 2025.
To read more about Professor Gray’s work and the significance of the Busk Medal, visit the RGS interview and award showcase.
More about Professor Murray Gray
Professor Gray's academic journey began at the University of Edinburgh, where he trained as a glacial geomorphologist. In 1972, he joined Queen Mary University of London and published extensively on the Quaternary geomorphology of regions including western Scotland, north Wales, and East Anglia. Later, his focus shifted to applied research in geodiversity, geoheritage, and geoconservation, exploring topics such as landscape character assessment, authentic landform and landscape design, and land-use planning.
His seminal work, Geodiversity: Valuing and Conserving Abiotic Nature, published in 2004, has been influential in the field, with a second edition released in 2013. The book has garnered over 1,100 citations, underscoring its impact on both academic research and environmental policy.
Beyond academia, Professor Gray has been instrumental in promoting the importance of abiotic nature in international environmental policy. He has contributed to the work of the Geoheritage Specialist Group of the World Commission on Protected Areas under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), advocating for the integration of geodiversity considerations into conservation strategies worldwide.
Learn more about our research in the School of Geography.