Professor Andrew Goudie (1946–2026)

13 October 2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Hertford Honorary Fellow and Emeritus Professor of Geography Andrew Goudie, who died on 8 October in Dorset County Hospital, aged 81, after a short period of illness.

A distinguished physical geographer, Andrew became a Fellow in Geography at Hertford in 1976 and played a transformative role in establishing the subject as one of the college’s great academic strengths. In 1984 he became Professor of Geography, remaining a Fellow of Hertford until 2003. He also served as Head of Oxford’s Department of Geography during the 1980s and 1990s, and later as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Development for the University. In 2003 he left Hertford to become Master of St Cross College, a position he held until 2011.

His academic distinction was recognised internationally. His honours included a Royal Medal from the Royal Geographical Society in 1991, Oxford’s DSc in 2002, the Geological Society of America’s Farouk El-Baz Prize for Desert Research in 2007 and the British Society for Geomorphology’s David Linton Award in 2009. He served as President of the International Association of Geomorphologists from 2005 to 2009 and was later made an Honorary Fellow of the Association. His many other roles included Director of the University of Oxford China Centre, President of the British Institute in Eastern Africa and President of the Geographical Association.

Andrew was a committed member of the college community and helped make Hertford an outstanding place to study geography. Professor David Thomas, one of Andrew’s former students and later his successor in the Statutory Chair, described him as ‘a giant in college’, while remaining ‘one of the most collegiate people I have ever known’.

Andrew’s connection with Hertford was personal as well as professional, meeting his wife, Heather, through the college MCR. Together they remained closely involved with Hertford long after Andrew had formally left the Fellowship, with Andrew returning to Hertford this summer to share something of his experience both of Hertford and of being a Head of House with the new Principal, Alex Freeman.

Our thoughts are with Heather, their daughters, and all Andrew’s family, friends, former students and colleagues.

We will update this page with funeral arrangements as we learn of them.

A fuller account of Andrew’s career can be read on the School of Geography and the Environment website.