Dr. Christopher Bottrill has been named the new dean of Capilano University's Faculty of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. He will also oversee the University's Squamish campus and Mt. Currie and Whistler programs.
Bottrill has worked at Capilano as an instructor in both tourism and geography since 1998.
"I love Capilano University because it is a place that all of us - students and employees - can call a home," Bottrill said in a release. "We've had a student-focussed philosophy for the longest time in the Faculty of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation and we do our best to ensure that each and every student receives personal attention and feels part of a community."
Bottrill has more than 15 years of teaching experience in tourism and outdoor recreation and has been chair of Capilano's Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (TREC) programs for the past four years. He holds a PhD from the Faculty of Commerce and School of Management at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand and has strong interests in tourism inter-organizational relations and network development, climate change and environmental stewardship.
Most recently, Bottrill chaired the B.C. Tourism Educators Conference. In 2008, he facilitated a Statement of Commitment amongst tourism educators to take action on climate change. Bottrill has been working with the NGO Sustainable Cities on sustainable tourism and climate change networks in Dar es Salaam, Dakar, and Durban, South Africa. He is also actively involved in developing cMet, the B.C. consortium to help prepare and deliver training for major events around the globe.
Throughout his career, Bottrill has had several opportunities to work closely with First Nations communities around the world; experience that should assist him in building relationships in the Howe Sound corridor.
The North Shore resident is father of a nine-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. He spends his time away from work coaching rugby for mini's at the Capilano Rugby Club, and is also a very keen downhill/freeride/cross-country mountain biker and telemark skier.
