News
Spotlight
Executive Development Program
2006 Students of EDP
EDP (Executive Development Program) was held April 9-12th at the IMU. This year our students are from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, and Winnipeg Manitoba. Julie Knapp created a wonderfully successful program that was enjoyed by all who attended.
Welcome
Welcome to the new home of the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies Newsletter! This newsletter will be updated monthly throughout the Spring 2007 semester.
The following employees have recently joined the teams at our centers and institutes:
Bradford Woods has added the following new staff
Shane Gibson
Coordinator, Environmental Education Programs
Stephanie Richards
Marketing, Retreats and Special Events
The National Center on Accessibility has added the following new staff
Debbie Scharven
Visiting Research Associate
Announcements
The National Recreation and Park Association Annual Congress will be held in Indianapolis for 2007! Please contact RPTS with interest in helping with the event.
The Violence in Sports and Leisure class has been approved for IFS (Intensive Freshman Seminar) Summer 200. The class will examine the nature of violence in society, sports and recreation violence in the media, and historical examples of leisure related violence to a group of wide-eyed and eager incoming freshman during the first two weeks of August 2007. The IFS will also offer courses from a wide range of disciplines and programs. The R354 will be instructed by Rasul Mowatt.
Recognition
This year marks the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies' 60th Anniversary!
The Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies ranked 5th in authorships and 8th in authored publications per 2004 Leisure Sciences.
Lynn Jamieson, Craig Ross, and Sarah Young received approval for a U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Indiana Youth Sports Project for Algeria. This is a partnership grant between Indiana University, Purdue University, the University of Notre Dame, the Islamic Society of North America, and Mercy Corps, 2006-2007. Total budget: $135,000.
Tony Mobley was the recipient of the Pugsley Award.
Craig Ross was the recipient of the SPRE Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Shu Cole and Lynn Jamieson attended and presented at the World Leisure Congress Research Presentation.
Sarah Young presented at the NRPA Leisure Research Symposium Research Poster Presentation.
Lynn Jamieson, Bryan McCormick, and Youngkhill Lee presented at the NRPA Leisure Research Symposium Oral Presentation.
Lynn Jamieson completed the 5th Edition of co-authored text Commercial Recreation and Tourism: An Entrepreneurial Approach.
Alan Ewert authored an article in Journal of Leisure Research.
Bryan McCormick and Youngkhill Lee authored an article in Journal of Leisure Research.
Joel Meier is recognized for his role in implementing the Reynold Carlson Lecture and completion of outstanding career.
Barbara Hawkins is recognized for her induction into the Academy of Leisure Science.
Ruth Russell has authored a recipe book featuring easy to prepare recipes for RV’ers.
Joe Chen authored an article in Hospitality and Leisure.
Anneka Metcalf received the Outstanding Support Staff Award.
Centers and Institutes
Greak Lakes Park Training Institute Updates
Students Participate in the 61st Annual GLPTI Institute
The Great Lakes Park Training Institute was held February 19-23,
2007 in Angola, Indiana at the Potawatomi Inn located on the
beautiful grounds of Pokagon State Park. The Institute is an educational
training opportunity for professionals in recreation and
parks. It provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, and exploration
of current issues and techniques in the profession. More >>
Bradford Woods Outdoor Education Center Updates
Carlson Lecture Series Featured Dr. Will LaPage, October 5-7, 2006.
This year's Carlson Lecture Series featured Dr. Will LaPage, a pioneer in parks and recreation research and a devoted public servant. The lecture series "kicked off" with a Thursday afternoon workshop discussing the changing goals and expectations for public parks. On Friday morning, Dr. LaPage led a Leisure Sciences seminar for HPER faculty and doctoral students.
On Friday afternoon the festivities moved to Bradford Woods, where Carlson Series participants enjoyed an afternoon of climbing, canoeing, kayaking and pontoon boat rides followed by a ceremonial buffalo tro led by our own Dr. Tom Rillo and Phil Wilson of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. After dinner, approximately 100 HPER faculty, staff, students and other guests enjoyed a poetry reading at Bradford Woods' universally-designed amphitheater. Later participants cooked s'mores over an open campfire and joined together in a barn dance led by a live caller and spirited dancers. Many guests "camped out" at Bradford Woods for the evening, either in a tent or cabin. On Saturday morning, participants enjoyed a workshop on environmental interpretation and discussed tools for guiding park partnerships.
National Center on Accessibility Updates
As a result of Congressional hearings on access to the national parks for people with disabilities, accessibility is emerging as a higher priority for the National Park Service. As a result of requests from the NPS, the National Center of Accessibility has submitted proposals to conduct an accessibility assessment of the Golden Gate National Recreation area and a pilot study to determine the current level of access within the National Park system. More importantly, findings from the congressional hearings have been an impetus for Congressmen Steven Pearce and Mike Sodrel to send a letter to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director requesting the NPS funding to NCA be increased to $600,000 per year. If this request is accepted, annual funding to NCA from the NPS will more than double. Since NCA's inception through a cooperative agreement with the NPS in 1992, the Center's NPS funding has not exceeded more than $300,000 annually, and has in fact on occasion been impacted by budgetary cuts to the NPS as a whole.
In October, NCA completed accessibility assessments of 47 parks and facilities for the Buffalo Grove (IL) Park District. NCA staff are currently conducting a review of the agency's policies and procedures and later this winter will present key findings and major recommendations for the agency to improve services to its citizens with disabilities. This fall, NCA also entered into a contract with the Forest Preserve District of Will County, Illinois to complete an accessibility assessment of the entire district, similar to the project with Buffalo Grove.
Catherine Nolan (Fall only), Nicole Montembeault and Danielle Pernell have been appointed to NCA for graduate assistantships this academic year. Catherine is developing an online learning module for park and recreation practitioners on the principles of universal design. Nicole is assisting staff with the completion of accessibility assessments and final reports for the Buffalo Grove Park District and the Will County Forest Preserve. Danielle is assisting our training program in making significant revisions to the disability section of our training manual. She has been working with the NCA director to package a new NCA policies, procedures and operational manual.
Gary Robb is currently working with the Morgan County Park Commission to design and develop an accessible park with trails. Gary and Laura recently returned form the 18th National Trails Symposium where they presented a poster session, two mini-workshops on accessible trails and hosted the NCA exhibit. Laura made a presentation on the NCA trails surface study to the association of state park directors and Gary was featured for "breakfast with the experts," a facilitated discussion on access to outdoor areas.
In mid-November, Ray Bloomer, Jennifer Skulski and Alice Voigt traveled to Lake Mead to conduct a training for accessibility coordinators within the National Park Service. This was the second training on such topic at Lake Mead in 2006. During the 4-day course, the NPS personnel were introduced to the accessibility guidelines for outdoor recreation areas and had the opportunity to practice conducting an accessibility assessment of the visitors' center, picnic, campground and trails within the national recreation area.
Please send questions, additions or comments to recpark@indiana.edu
