معرفی
Dr Laura Wallis serves as Senior Lecturer and Marjon Business Lead at the University of St Mark and St John, where she directs postgraduate business provision within the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation. Her academic foundation combines business expertise with specialized focus on lifestyle-driven entrepreneurship contexts.
Her educational trajectory demonstrates deep institutional commitment to Plymouth-based programs:
- PhD in Lifestyle Entrepreneurship within Lifestyle Sports Industry (University of Plymouth)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Academic Practice with HEA Fellowship
- Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methodology (University of Plymouth)
- MSc Business and Management (University of Plymouth)
- BA (Hons) Business Administration (University of Plymouth)
- Foundation Degree Business and Management (North Devon College/University of Plymouth)
Research centers on the intersection of entrepreneurial identity formation and lifestyle choices within sports industries, with particular emphasis on flexible work arrangements and work-life balance dynamics. Her investigations reveal how surf culture and rural tourism settings generate unique entrepreneurial ecosystems where lifestyle preferences directly shape business models and growth trajectories. This work bridges academic theory with practical applications for micro-enterprise development in coastal communities.
Publication trends since 2016 show consistent focus on lifestyle entrepreneurship typologies within sports contexts, especially surfing communities in Southwest England. Her scholarship establishes frameworks for identifying entrepreneurial motivations in leisure-based industries while addressing rural enterprise support mechanisms and pedagogical approaches to entrepreneurial education. Key contributions include defining lifestyle entrepreneur characteristics through ethnographic studies of surfboard makers and coastal micro-businesses.
Professional recognition includes:
- Fellowship to the Higher Education Academy
- Membership in the Chartered Management Institute
As programme lead for business postgraduates, she mentors students through curriculum development in accounting, leadership, and entrepreneurial portfolio writing. Her research projects evaluating rural enterprise support systems demonstrate applied scholarship connecting academic work with regional economic development needs, though specific grant details remain undisclosed in source materials.
