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Dr Alan Marvell

Senior Lecturer in Events Management

As a Senior Lecturer with experience in tourism and events, I enjoy researching and teaching about industries that are constantly evolving, presenting new challenges and opportunities.

Biography

Alan is the School Lead for Learning and Teaching and, as a National Teaching Fellow (NTF), he has a passion for teaching, researching, and developing experiential pedagogies.

With a strong interest in international education, Alan serves as the Academic Course Leader for Logistics Management at Peninsula College, Malaysia, and the University of Economics and Finance, Vietnam.

Previously, Alan led the Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) programme and currently teaches research methods while supervising doctoral candidates.

At undergraduate level, he teaches International Hospitality and Tourism Management, with a focus on special interest tourism and contemporary issues.

Alan’s PhD research identified the multiple meanings of the contemporary suburb by exploring the construction of suburban residential identities. He has also published widely on student-led learning and experiential pedagogies.

In support of his research, Alan is a Chartered Geographer (CGeog) and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He currently serves as Chair of the RGS-IBG Geography and Education Research Group and is a member of the international Editorial Board for the Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Alan has also delivered keynote presentations in the UK, Ireland, and Australia.

Additionally, Alan collaborates with local business groups to promote Gloucestershire as a visitor destination and was a founding member of the Gloucestershire Sustainability Champions.

Qualifications

  • BA (Hons): Geography and History, College of St Paul and St Mary, 1990
  • PGCE: Geography, University of Southampton, 1991
  • MA: Landscape and Society, Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education, 1999
  • PhD: Doctor of Philosophy, University of Gloucestershire, 2016

Awards

  • National Teaching Fellow (NTF), 2021
  • Geographical Association Distinguished Service Award, 2020
  • University of Gloucestershire Teaching Fellow, 2017
  • University of Gloucestershire Learning for Sustainable Futures Award: Responsible Events, 2015.

Accreditation

Chartered Geographer (CGeog) Royal Geographical Society

Membership of professional bodies

  • Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
  • Association of National Teaching Fellows (NTF)
  • International Federation of National Teaching Fellows (IFNTF)
  • Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)
  • Fellow of the Tourism Society (FTS)
  • Geographical Association
  • Association for Events Management Education

Teaching & Research

Teaching

Alan teaches across a variety of postgraduate and undergraduate programs. At the postgraduate level, he specialises in research methods and the supervision of research students. For undergraduate students, his expertise lies in special interest tourism, along with key contemporary issues affecting the tourism, hospitality, and events industries. In addition, Alan delivers courses on international tourism, logistics, and destination marketing. He also conducts workshops on various topics related to teaching and learning.

Research

Alan’s research interests are multidisciplinary. He is internationally recognised for his work on pedagogy, student-led learning, experiential learning, and emotional geographies. His research also explores place management, place promotion, and identity formation. Recently, he has been collaborating on projects related to sustainable practices.

Publications

More publications from Dr Alan Marvell can be found in the Research Repository.

External responsibilities

Alan is Chair of the Geography and Education Research Group at the Royal Geographical Society. He also serves as an international Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Geography in Higher Education and the multidisciplinary journal Geographies, Planning and Tourism Studios.

External examining

Alan is an experienced external examiner and currently serves as an external examiner for International Event Management at the University of Brighton.