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Alumna to present on brain injury rehab, therapeutic recreation

10/11/10

Penn State Alumna Joanne Finegan will present a speech about her career path, titled Serious Play: A Recreation Therapist's Journey through Teaching People the Importance of Fun after a Catastrophic Injury," at 7 p.m. on Oct. 21, in the Bennett Pierce Living Center (room 110 of the Henderson Building) on Penn State's University Park campus. The event is free and open to the public.

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Golf management students visit golf's birthplace for spring break

3/26/10

The words "cold" and "rainy" don't describe most students' ideal spring break destination -- unless students are interested in golf management. Scotland is known for its cloudy skies but, more importantly, it is where golf originated, so it provides a unique historical outlook on the sport.

Twenty-two Penn State students in the Professional Golf Management (PGM) option of the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management degree program spent their spring break in St. Andrews, Scotland, where they had the chance to play on some of the oldest golf courses in the world, meet with head golf pros and see different operation styles, and learn about the golf's history.

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Doors swing open on new golf teaching and research lab

3/23/10

Designed to advance golf research and instruction, the Golf Teaching and Research Center (GTRC) opened its doors on Nov. 11, 2009. The center provides a cutting-edge, high-quality learning environment for Penn State students in the Professional Golf Management option of the Recreation, Park and Tourism Management undergraduate degree program.

Outdoor recreation plan builds on professors' research

1/19/10

Called upon by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, faculty in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and other departments at Penn State coordinated a number of surveys, discussion groups and analyses that informed a federally mandated plan to increase and improve outdoor recreation opportunities across the state.

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Professor appointed president of Academy of Leisure Sciences

11/25/09

Dr. Linda Caldwell, professor of recreation, park and tourism management, was elected president of the Academy of Leisure Sciences, effective October 14, 2009. The academy comprises nearly 100 elected members who have made major contributions to the study of leisure sciences. The mission of the Academy of Leisure Sciences is to advance the field of leisure studies through three main activities: recognizing outstanding scholars, creating forums for exchanging knowledge and ideas, and promoting the study through scholars programs.

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Culture clash in Africa is focus of free movie

11/9/09

"Milking the Rhino," an award-winning documentary that explores how past conservation efforts in Africa have disconnected indigenous people from their traditional way of life, will be screened at 7 p.m. on Nov. 17, in 110 Pattee Library (Foster Auditorium). Members of the Penn State and local communities interested in cultural awareness, tourism, global sustainability and contemporary issues in Africa will find this film informative, engaging and empowering. The event is free and open to the public.

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Student rides to third place in World Surf Kayak Championships

9/15/09

In August, Penn State student Lindsay Usher found herself face to face with six-foot waves off the coast of Portugal with nothing to protect her but a paddle and a kayak. Luckily, Usher had been in this situation before and she knew how to handle the surge of water. She soon found herself at a wave's crest, visible to the crowd on shore. There were cheers as she rode the wave in and she was awarded third place in the women's longboat division of the World Surf Kayak Championships.

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RPTM names new department head

8/18/09

Garry Chick, professor of recreation, park and tourism management, has been named head of Penn State's Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management (RPTM), effective Aug. 15.

Summer camps provide fun and exercise for children

8/5/09

When school's not in session, it can be difficult to find ways to keep kids off of the couch. Summer camps, however, prove to be a much healthier alternative to TV. Not only do summer camps provide fun, engaging activities for kids, but kids at summer camps meet or exceed the amount of daily physical activity recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Faculty and alumna contribute to first National Physical Activity Plan

7/2/09

Two members of the Penn State faculty and one alumna have been selected to assist with the development of the first U.S. National Physical Activity Plan. Andrew J. Mowen, associate professor of recreation, park, and tourism management (RPTM); Birgitta Baker, assistant professor of kinesiology at Louisiana State University and graduate of the RPTM doctoral program; and Allison Topper, senior instructor in public health sciences and pediatrics in the Penn State College of Medicine, will provide background research that will inform the plan.

The recommendations of Mowen and Baker were debated and discussed during the National Physical Activity Plan Conference on July 1 and 2.

ICIK hosts seminar on natural resource management

4/14/09

The Interinstitutional Consortium for Indigenous Knowledge (ICIK) will host a seminar from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, in 502 Keller Building. The lecture by Duarte Morais and Harry Zinn from the Penn State Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management is titled: "The Role of Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Shaping Indigenous Wildlife Value Orientations and Quality of Life in Namibia."