Professor Felix Driver

I am an historical geographer with research interests in the arts and humanities, including collections-based collaborations with museums, botanic gardens and creative practitioners. I have led research projects on the cultural history of collections, the visual culture of scientific exploration, geography and empire, and imperial cities. I am Principal Investigator of the AHRC-funded Mobile Museum project, in collaboration with Mark Nesbitt at Kew, which is examining the circulation of specimens and artefacts into and out of the former Museum of Economic Botany. I have been involved with other collaborative and collections-based research projects with the British Library, the Science Museum, the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Geographical Society. 

• 2015-18 Chair of the British Academy Anthropology & Geography Section
• 2011 elected Fellow of the British Academy
• 2007 elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
• 2004-12 AHRC Peer Review College & Panel Member
• 2000 Murchison Award of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) for research on imperialism & imperial cities
• 1999 elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
• 1999 Professor of Human Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London
• 1987 PhD University of Cambridge
• 1982 BA University of Cambridge 

Biocultural collections and networks of knowledge in the nineteenth century: A quest for quinine Collaborative PhD Studentship, with Royal Holloway, University of London, AHRC TECHNE National Productivity Investment Fund award

A paper world: the collection and investigation of plant materials for paper making, c.1830-1914 Collaborative PhD Studentship, with Royal Holloway, University of London, AHRC TECHNE National Productivity Investment Fund award