Biography of Professor Petts
Professor Petts has been Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of Westminster since 1 August 2007.He studied Physical Geography and Geology at the University of Liverpool and gained his PhD at Southampton University. He was appointed to a Lectureship at Loughborough University in 1979, was awarded a Chair in 1989, and became Head of Department in 1991.
In 1994 he moved to the University of Birmingham as Professor of Physical Geography and Director of Environmental Research and Management. Two years later, he founded that University’s Centre for Environmental Research and Training (CERT). He was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham in 2002, before taking up his appointment as Vice-Chancellor at Westminster.
Geoff has established a reputation for inter-disciplinary research that engages stakeholders to identify key problems and then focuses on fundamental studies to develop the next generation of tools to tackle these problems. This approach has become the ‘brand’ of CERT at Birmingham.
His own research is at the interface of hydrology, geomorphology and ecology to address the sustainable development of water projects. His publications include 20 books and over 100 scientific papers. He is founder and Editor-in-Chief of the international journal River Research and Applications (www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/rra).
Professor Petts has held a number of external appointments including a term as a Director of the International Water Resources Association (1992-94) and Council Member of the Freshwater Biological Association (2000-2003).
He has been a member of several scientific advisory committees including the International Council for Science (ICSU) Scientific Committee on Water Research; UNESCO IHP Eco-Hydrology Programme; and US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Long-term Monitoring Programme for the upper Mississippi River.
Currently, Professor Petts is a Member of the NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Programme Development Group, Vice President of the new International Society for River Science and an advisor to the US Nature Conservancy’s Great Rivers Partnership.