Nicholas Catahan

🌿 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 studies, 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. Liverpool Botanical Trust Trustee and Collaborative Partner. 

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.

• 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.