Dr. Geneviève (Gen) Marchand is a professor of Recreation Administration and coordinates the Outdoor Recreation emphasis, as well as the Outdoor Assistantship. She is passionate about making the outdoors accessible for everyone, helping others find their voice in the outdoor industry and teach about Leave No Trace principles.

She grew up in Québec (Canada), where she developed her passion for the outdoors. She got the bug for outdoor education after working in summer camps. She has over 20 years of experience working for various outdoor adventure programs, including Outward Bound California, Bold Earth, and various college outdoor programs. After obtaining her degree in Outdoor Adventure and Tourism from Université du Québec in Chicoutimi, she moved to the United States to pursue a career in wilderness therapy. 

She has a Master’s degree in Kinesiology from California State University, Chico, and a Doctoral degree in Education from the University of Minnesota. Past research has focused on job demand stressors of instructors working in wilderness therapy. Her current research interests include outdoor leadership and outdoor programs in underrepresented communities, and the role of outdoor programs in college, specifically towards environmental attitude, leadership development, and general well-being.

She is a Leave No Trace Master Educator, a Wilderness First Responder and a certified Outdoor Educator from the Wilderness Education Association. She is an active member of the Association for Outdoor Recreation and Education, was the chair of the Research Committee from 2013-2015 and served on the board from 2016-2019.