Personal profile
Biography
🌿 Senior lecturer and researcher in Business, Marketing, and Management whose work explores how places, people and service create meaningful, sustainable value. Core interests include botanic garden tourism, transformative service and sustainability, connecting deep ecology, visitor experience, stewardship and community and planetary well‑being. With a background across ecology, environmental science, geography, horticulture and garden design, Nick links research, teaching and practice via live briefs, place‑based learning, and collaboration with gardens, heritage organisations and community partners.
#NicholasCatahan #TransformativeService #Sustainability #BotanicGardenTourism #Place #Marketing #Management #Development
Academic and professional experience spans higher education, social enterprise and horticulture/ecosystem management. Recent focus is on research and teaching excellence, inclusive pedagogy, widening participation, and education that changes lives.
Service to the field includes reviewing for journals and conferences such as Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Cultural Heritage Management & Sustainable Development, Journal of Place Management & Development, Journal of Outdoor Recreation & Tourism, Plants, People, Planet, Biological Diversity, and Sustainability. University and regional networks include SustainNet, the Community Led Businesses Research Group, and LancsCAN. Professional communities include ServSIG, QUIS, ServCollab, Academy of Marketing SIGs (Arts/Heritage/Non‑Profit & Social; Place; Sustainability; Tourism; Transformative Service), and tourism networks TRINET, NTAN and the Responsible Tourism Network.
Partnerships span the gardens sector: Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), BGEN (personal member), PlantNetwork (institutional via Edge Hill), Liverpool Botanical Trust (personal), and associate research partner for the Garden Tourism Alliance - supporting co‑created projects that connect conservation, research and education with place vitality, visitor economies and well‑being.
Leadership & Management at a glance
- Programme leadership (2004–2011; 2019–2021; 2024–2026) across Business & Management and joint pathways (Leisure & Tourism; HRM; Marketing; Accounting & Finance; Economics), plus Business Analytics and International Business - with emphases on FHEQ/RQF alignment (Levels 4–6), sustainability integration, authentic assessment, stakeholder engagement and student‑voice‑led enhancement.
- Programme authorship & international collaboration
- DipHE Tourism Management (RQF 4–5), Edge Hill × Chengdu University of Technology (author/developer; ongoing consultation since 2011).
- FdA Leisure & Tourism Management (RQF 4–5), Edge Hill × KCC (co‑author; programme leadership period 2006–2011).
- Leadership in vocational/leadership education
- Developer, Lead Assessor & Internal Verifier for ILM/City & Guilds VRQs & NVQs in Leadership & Management (RQF 2–7), with portfolio management of clients, trainers and assessors.
- Pre‑HE and vocational curriculum leadership
- Delivery and leadership across A‑Level & BTEC (RQF 1–3); author of Leisure & Tourism 14–19 Diplomas gateway documentation; EU‑funded vocational projects.
Acronyms: RQF = Regulated Qualifications Framework. FHEQ = Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
Honour-Awards
- FHEA - Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, professional membership promoting excellence in Higher Education.
- MCMI - Member of the Chartered Management Institute, the UK-based professional institution for managers.
- FIPM - Fellow of the Institute of Place Management, the international professional body that supports people committed to developing, managing & making places better.
- MAM - Member of the Academy of Marketing, a learned society of marketing researchers, educators & professionals.
Research interests
Co‑creation with botanic gardens, sector bodies and communities to integrate ecosystem thinking and joined‑up communications across research, conservation, education and plant collections, strengthening place vitality, visitor economies and well‑being.
- Environmental, social, governance
- Botanic garden tourism innovation
- Sustainable service ecosystem design
- Equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility
- Transformative service, health & wellbeing
Open to botanic garden tourism research collaborations, guest lectures/panels, live briefs, external examining, and community partnerships that align education, transformative service, sustainability and place.
Teaching
Student‑centred design with authentic assessments, live briefs, fieldwork, reflective learning and inclusive delivery. Supervision of undergraduate research/dissertations via group methods/ethics sessions and 1:1 coaching from research design through analysis and write‑up.
Module leadership/teaching (selected)
- Leisure, Travel & Tourism: Introduction to Leisure & Tourism; Leisure & Tourism Planning; Tourism Development; Green/Sustainable Tourism; Heritage; Events Management; Managing Impacts of Leisure & Tourism.
- Marketing: Marketing for Business; Integrated Marketing Communications; Branding & Integrated Digital Campaigns.
- Business & Management: New Venture Creation; Business Start‑up; Enterprise & Innovation; Human Resource Management; People & Organisations.
Education/Academic qualification
Education with Distinction, MA, Liverpool John Moores University
Education (Post Compulsory), PGCert, Liverpool John Moores University
Environmental Studies with Geography (& Information Technology 1st Yr), BSc, Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods, University of Liverpool
Keywords
- H Social Sciences
- Transformative Gardens
- Transformative Service Research (TSR)
- Sustainability
- Marketing
- Management
- Service
- Place
- Ecology
- Ecosystem
- Business
- Innovation
- Enterprise
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
- #NicholasCatahan
Research Groups
- SustainNET
- Community Owned Businesses Research Group
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 4 Quality Education
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SDG 5 Gender Equality
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SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
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SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
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SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
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SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
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SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
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SDG 13 Climate Action
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SDG 14 Life Below Water
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SDG 15 Life on Land
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Research output
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Transformative value, communities and service designs for sustainability
CATAHAN, N., 22 Aug 2024, In: Journal of Services Marketing. p. 911-924 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)165 Downloads (Pure) -
Botanic Garden Tourism, Social Value, Health, and Well-being
CATAHAN, N., Hopwood, M. & Suraweera, P., 28 Apr 2024, In: Journal of Zoology and Botanical Gardens. 5, 2, p. 187-199 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile9 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)140 Downloads (Pure) -
Social Value, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
CATAHAN, N. & Hopwood, M., 28 Nov 2025, Critical Issues in Garden Tourism Management: Diversity, Environment, Education and Technology. Benfield, R. (ed.). Wallingford, Oxford, England, UK: CABI publishing, p. 21-41 21 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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Health, Well-Being, and Gardens
CATAHAN, N., 28 Nov 2025, Critical Issues in Garden Tourism Management: Diversity, Environment, Education and Technology. Benfield, R. (ed.). Wallingford, Oxford, England, UK: CABI publishing, p. 42-62 21 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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The view, brew & loo: perceptions of botanic gardens?
Catahan, N. & Woodruffe-Burton, H., 4 Mar 2019, In: Journal of Place Management and Development. 12, 1, p. 20-38 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile16 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)1265 Downloads (Pure)
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#WeAre…? – An Exploratory Study of People, Transformative Service & Place
CATAHAN, N. (PI)
Project: Research
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Citizen's UK Fringe Event
Marriott, S. (Participant), FOSTER, V. (Participant) & CATAHAN, N. (Participant)
26 Feb 2025Activity: Events › Participating in a conference, workshop, etc.
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Plants People Planet (Journal)
CATAHAN, N. (Reviewer)
2025Activity: Peer-review & editorial work › Publication Peer-review
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Innovating On Public Engagement Through Creative Enterprise In The Context Of Health And Well-being, Homelessness, Hunger And Poverty
CATAHAN, N. (Speaker)
1 Jul 2024 → 4 Jul 2024Activity: Dissemination › Oral presentation
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Transformative Hospitality Service In The Context Of Soup Kitchens
CATAHAN, N. (Speaker)
1 Jul 2024 → 4 Jul 2024Activity: Dissemination › Oral presentation
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Biological Diversity (Journal)
CATAHAN, N. (Reviewer)
2024 → …Activity: Peer-review & editorial work › Publication Peer-review