Updates
We have been back on the Nanaimo campus of VIU since September and are just wrapping up the first term. It has been an odd but delightful return to campus; however, with mask wearing and anxiety levels still high it is definitely not a return to normal. I did run a short domestic study tour to the Yukon and am currently working on three external research contracts so that's been exciting! I've also kicked off another passion project - the Leisure Matters VIU knowledge sharing and advocacy digital media channels. More to come on that!
Who Am I?As a professor in the Department of Recreation and Tourism Management at Vancouver Island University, I am fortunate enough to live a life of learning, adventure, and exploration. I am also honoured to live, work, and play on the unceeded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
My educational journey took me from Vancouver Island, BC to Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Alberta. Since returning to the Island and VIU, I have led field schools to the Yukon, Central America (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala), Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania, participated in funded international development projects, taught hundreds of students. I am now working on three diverse but domestic projects. Prior to graduating from the University of Alberta (PhD, 2009) my research focused on Women's Leisure, Community Development, and Sport Tourism. After travelling to Ghana for the first time in 2009, my research program has focused on Community-based Tourism Development, Destination Narratives, and Sustainable Livelihoods for Women. More recently I have had the opportunity to teach in two different Indigenous training programs at VIU - Indigenous Ecotourism Training Program and the Stewardship Technician Training Program. Working with these program and connecting with Indigenous Tourism Operators has convinced me that doing field work in BC and Canada is the next evolution of my research and consultancy. |
Physically Distant Leisure - Climbing Mount Benson, Nanaimo
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Not all those who wander are lost - JRR Tolkien