Dr Tara Duncan
Department of Tourism
 |
| Dr Tara Duncan Granville Island Vancouver, Canada |
Tourism lecturer Dr Tara Duncan is a strong believer in showing students how classroom theories apply to real-life situations.
Along with other Tourism papers, Dr Duncan currently teaches the 100-level ‘Introduction to Hospitality’ paper. “In the course, I aim to link the theories and concepts behind hospitality to real world examples. So, as well as talking about philosophers such as Derrida, we also talk about Gordon Ramsay, Disney and Hilton hotels.” It is no wonder that she finds herself teaching not only business students, but students from all over the university. "It’s about making it interesting and fun – for them and for me!"
Not surprisingly, her initial interest in tourism academia came about through real-life experiences. During three years living and working in Whistler, Canada, Dr Duncan became fascinated with the constant stream of young travellers making the ski resort their temporary home – where did they come from, why did they choose to work in this industry, where were they planning to go, and why? Dr Duncan studied the experiences of young travellers for her PhD thesis, and continues to conduct research into the area today.
With research interests that demand extensive international travel – what keeps her at the University of Otago? "The lifestyle here is wonderful and the University is world-class."
The University of Otago is a multi-cultural experience for both teachers and students. "At our last graduate induction day, I counted 17 different nationalities before I lost count. The conversations and learning we all get because of the mix of people, nationalities and cultures is amazing and it truly adds to the Otago experience.
"I am surrounded by colleagues who are passionate and engaged with their research and their students. It’s a fantastic environment to learn in and when you combine that with the laid–back Kiwi lifestyle, three hours away from mountains, wine tasting and ‘Middle Earth’, as well as all the activities in and around Dunedin, how can anyone turn that down?"