Keith Woodford

(2002 Biography): Dr Keith Woodford is Lincoln University's Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness. Wellington-born, he took up the Professorship at Lincoln in 2000 returning home from across the Tasman where he had been Associate Professor and Reader in Rural Management and Agribusiness at the University of Queensland, Gatton College.

It was a home coming in more ways than one because Keith had been both a student and a past staff member at Lincoln. He graduated Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 1969 and Master of Agricultural Science in 1974 then after a year living in South America and three years with MAF, Keith returned to Lincoln as a research economist then took up a post as a Lecturer in Farm Management.

Keith moved to Australia in the early 1980s, completed a doctorate, and pursued a career at the University of Queensland, Gatton College. Along with contributing to rural management and agribusiness education and research he built up an international reputation through advisory and consultancy work in many parts of the world.

Outside of academic life, Keith was leader of the New Zealand Everest Expedition to Nepal in 1977 and led the Commonwealth Andean Expedition in 1974. Over 1979-80 he was in the Antarctic for the then DSIR training field scientists in survival techniques, search and rescue and the field management of scientific parties.