Rudolph Glossop (1902-1993) is credited with bringing together academics and practitioners in engineering geology in the UK; he was involved in setting up the Engineering Group in 1964 and, in 1966, the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology, having previously also help set up the Geotechnical Society and the journal Geotechnique in 1948.

Glossop was the eighth Rankine Lecturer in 1967; he was also Chairman of the Engineering Group (1965-68) and Vice President of the Geological Society (1969). Glossop’s contribution to engineering geology is recognised by the Engineering Group of the Geological Society through the prestigious Glossop Lecture and Glossop Award, established in 1997.

Glossop Lecture

The Glossop Lecture was initiated as the most prestigious lecture of the Engineering Group of the Geological Society, to be presented by an invited eminent engineering geologist. The requirement for the presentation is that it should highlight the contribution made in the application of engineering geology to civil engineering. This may be achieved by utilizing a subject that illustrates a particular expertise or summarizes a significant contribution to the science by the invitee. The Glossop Medal Nomination Guidance Notes outline the process and requirements for nominating someone for the Glossop Medal Lecture.

Nominations are now accepted for the Glossop Lecture and Medal from Academia and Professional practice for candidates who:

• Are considered technical experts in their field of Engineering Geology
• Are actively engaged with the Engineering Geology community
• Have made a significant contribution to advancing the cause and science of Engineering Geology

Candidates are likely to be a 'senior' academic or industry figure with greater than 30 years' experience, although nominations will be considered for candidates with less experience who can demonstrate their credentials in the above criteria.

The Glossop Medal Nomination Guidance Notes linked outline the process and requirements for nomiating someone for the Glossop Medal Lecture.

Previous presenters of the Glossop Lecture

• 1st Glossop Lecture by Professor Peter Fookes (1997) Geology for Engineers: the Geological Model, Prediction and Performance 
• 2nd Glossop Lecture by Dr Evert Hoek (1998) Putting numbers to geology – an engineer’s viewpoint
• 3rd Glossop Lecture by Professor Richard Chandler (1999) Clay Sediments in Depositional Basins: the Geotechnical Cycle
• 4th Glossop Lecture by Professor John Hutchinson (2000) Reading the Ground: Morphology and Geology in Site Appraisal
• 5th Glossop Lecture by Professor Denys Brunsden (2001) Geomorphological roulette for engineers and planners: some insights into an old game
• 6th Glossop Lecture by Professor Paul Marinos (2002) Ongoing challenges in engineering geology for tunnelling in difficult ground
• 7th Glossop Lecture by Professor Martin G. Culshaw (2004) From concept towards reality: developing the attributed 3D geological model of the shallow subsurface
• 8th Glossop Lecture by Professor Robin Fell (2006) Rapid Landslides: the importance of understanding mechanisms and rupture surface mechanics
• 9th Glossop Lecture by Professor Mike de Freitas (2008) Geology; its principles, practice and potential for Geotechnics
• 10th Glossop Lecture by Professor Paul Nathanail (2009) Engineering geology of sustainable risk based land quality management
• 11th Glossop Lecture by Professor Rory N. Mortimore (2010) Making sense of chalk: A total rock approach in Engineering Geology
• 12th Glossop Lecture by Professor Edward N. Bromhead (2011) Reflections on the residual strength of clays with special reference to bedding-controlled landslides
• 13th Glossop Lecture by Ruth Allington (2012) Engineering geology and geomorphology in the design, operation and rehabilitation of quarries: forms and processes, models and cycles, roles and responsibilities .
• 14th Glossop Lecture by Jim Griffiths (2013) Feet on the Ground - Engineering Geology, Past, Present and Future
• 15th Glossop Lecture by Mike Sweeney (2014) Terrain and Geohazard Challenges for Onshore Pipelines in Remote Regions
• 16th Glossop Lecture by Tony Waltham (2015) Control the Drainage: The Gospel Accorded to Sinkholes
• 17th Glossop Lecture by David Norbury (2016) Standards and Quality in Ground Investigation – squaring the circle
• 18th Glossop Lecture by Jackie Skipper (2017) Variability and ground hazards: how does the ground get the be 'unexpected'
• 19th Glossop Lecture by Kevin Privett (2018) The lines of evidence approach to challenges faced in engineering geological practice
• 20th Glossop Lecture by Jean Hutchinson (2019) Building slope process models considering engineering geology
• 21st Glossop Lecture by David Shilston (2021) Tools of the trade: Engineering geology and the geoscience time machine
• 22nd Glossop Lecture by John Harrison (2022) Are You Sure? An excursion through uncertainty in rock engineering
• 23rd Glossop Lecture by John C Cripps (2023) From Mud to Rock and Back

Glossop Award

The Glossop Award is a prestigious award made annually to an outstanding young engineering geologist or geo-environmentalist. The successful candidate will present their work at the Glossop Meeting, before the Glossop Medal lecture.