Christian Bisson
Associate professor of adventure education
Co-editor, Teaching Adventure Education: Best Practices, 2009
Six years ago, Christian Bisson was a tenure-track faculty member at a small college in Wisconsin. He and his wife had recently had a child. He certainly wasn’t looking to move halfway across the country.
But Plymouth State University—and Plymouth, N.H.—were too good to pass up.
“When I saw this position, by chance, I thought it was perfect,” says the associate professor of adventure education. “The location is excellent. We’re between the mountains and the Lakes Region, but also right on the highway. So we’re near mountains, lakes, forests … but can also easily get to urban areas, like Boston or Montreal.”
It’s an understatement to call Bisson an avid outdoorsman. The Quebec native has spent nearly two decades working in outdoor and adventure education with the National Outdoor Leadership School. At PSU, he teaches classes in rock climbing, canoeing, wilderness expedition, and adventure leadership, as well as theory classes in adventure education. He has led expeditions all over North America and a service learning trip in Nepal, while his personal travels have brought him to Australia and New Zealand.
“A lively college town set amidst nature at its most serene …” – New Hampshire Magazine, “Why Plymouth Rocks,” 2008
In naming Plymouth among their 2008 list of “50 Best Places to Live: The Next Great Adventure Towns,” National Geographic Adventure noted “Life in Plymouth is like a master class in recreation.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education named Plymouth State University among its 2009 Great Colleges to Work For, earning a place in the top 10 in eight categories.
