Legacy:Hugh French and hissignificance for periglacial environment and permafrost studies

Jef Vandenberghe

Department of Earth Sciences,VU University,The Netherlands

Hugh French passed away unexpectedly on May 11,2019,at the age of 76.His influence on the research and teaching in the fields of periglacial environment,permafrost and civil engineering can hardly be overstated.Out of his numerous international contacts,impressive publication records,memberships of international organiza‐tions and committees,and awards(Guglielmin and Murton,2019),only some aspects of his professional career are highlighted here,followed by a few personal thoughts and his contributions to the science of cold environ‐ments,especially,in China.

Hugh at his Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony

Hugh studied Geography at the University of Southampton in the UK,where he also obtained his PhD in Geo‐morphology in 1967.After his graduation,he taught at the University of Ottawa(Canada)successively as an as‐sistant and associate professor,then becoming a full professor in 1979 jointly appointed by the departments of Ge‐ography and Earth Sciences.Hugh served as the Dean of the Faculty of Science from 1992 to 1997.After he re‐tired from the University of Ottawa,Hugh became Professor Emeritus and was later appointed as a professor at the University of Victoria,British Columbia,Canada.

Hugh's reputation grew quickly after his first bookThe Periglacial Environmentpublished in 1976.Ⅰt was a comprehensive textbook and written in a characteristically easy‐to‐read style where Hugh took great pride in com‐municating the fundamental scientific concepts.As such,the book was widely used,as Hugh intended,as a textbook by many university students.

Hugh had abundant field experience in the northernmost part of Canada,where he supervised many students at master and PhD levels.Hugh extended his arctic field experience to the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau and Siberia in his early career and later on in Antarctica.Ⅰn all such activities,Hugh had demonstrated his fascination for both present‐day and past periglacial processes and landforms.Ⅰt had been a challenge for him to combine his experi‐ences from both domains.

Ⅰn addition to his research and reputation,Hugh was a well‐recognized teacher not only at his own universi‐ties in Canada but also at many institutes abroad,including UNⅠS(Svalbard),the universities of Lodz(Poland),Rome(Ⅰtaly),Lanzhou(China)and Moscow(Russia).

Hugh was honoured with several awards for his excellence in research.The Lifetime Achievement Award was very significant to him as it was awarded by theⅠnternational Permafrost Association in which he was active for many years and that he chaired from 1998 to 2003.

As destiny has decided otherwise,all these contacts and joint operations stopped so unexpectedly and abrupt‐ly.Nevertheless,we will remember Hugh for his friendly and dedicated collegiality,his long‐lasting inspirations,and his(often deliberately provocative)opinions.With deep respect for his scientific knowledge,we feel very thankful for all that we could learn from him and share with him.All these feelings and moments will be fondly re‐membered forever by us.

Hugh and Dr.Guanli(Jay)Jiang at Charhan Salt Lake,Qinghai,China,in 2015