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BIOGRAPHY

After completing my undergraduate degree in England, where I was born, I earned both my Masters and Doctorate at the University of Georgia. Starting in 2004 I became an Assistant Professor within the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. Since 1999 I have also held the position of Research Project Director for the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) being conducted by the United States Forest Service. The NSRE is a continuing series of U.S. National Recreation Surveys which explore the outdoor recreation participation patterns and environmental interests of the American people.

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RESEARCH

My primary areas of research relate to the use and protection of our natural resources and public lands. I am especially interested in natural resource management, outdoor recreation (participation levels and trends), recreational impacts to natural resources, socio-demographic trends and relate natural resource issues, and the human dimensions of natural resources.

For the last eight years I have also served as the Research Project Director for the USDA Forest Service's National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE). The NSRE is the largest research survey in the world on outdoor recreation and the environment. The purpose of the NSRE is to describe current patterns and recent trends in participation by the people of the United States in a wide range of outdoor recreation activities. In addition to questions about recreation participation the NSRE also asks questions relating to people's knowledge of natural resource issues, environmental attitudes, preferences for public land management, recreation fees, access for people with disabilities, and the value of wilderness and protected areas. Information from the NSRE is used extensively by federal agencies, outdoor industry groups, state planning agencies, Congressional staff, Administration policy offices, universities and colleges. I am currently conducting research on the following subjects for the subsequent agencies:

• The impact of educational programs on paddle-sport participants. American Canoeing Association
• The influence of socio-demographic changes in Georgia on the provision of recreational programs and services. Georgia Department of Natural Resources
• Investigation the use of state parks by minorities. Georgia Department of Natural Resources
• Creating a recreational planning tool for State Foresters. Georgia Forestry Commission
• Estimating recreational use on the Appalachian Trail. National Park Service
• Recreation participation levels and trends for mountain reservoirs and watershed areas. Tennessee Valley Authority
• Examining people's motivations for participating in outdoor recreation activities across different natural resource settings. Multiple agency project
• Examining the American public's participation in outdoor recreational activities and their opinions towards public land management. USDA Forest Service

TEACHING

Teaching is the reason I became a professor, it is my passion. Being a teacher I look to positively influence the lives and careers of my students by fostering the growth of their knowledge and skills. To help students achieve their full potential, I strive to appreciate their individual strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals. This appreciation has led me to incorporate an array of teaching styles, methods, viewpoints, and technological tools within my courses that help, I think, to create a more effective and interactive learning environment.

Since being at the University of Georgia I have taught several courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level. The vast majority of these courses relate to the use of natural resources and their protection. Below is a list of classes that I currently teach, or have taught, at the University of Georgia.

• Natural Resources Recreation Management
• Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Awareness
• Research and Evaluation in Recreation and Leisure Studies
• Environmental Interpretation for Recreation
• Park Management
• Wilderness Management
• Advanced Administration Practices in Leisure Services
• Administration Practices in Leisure Services
• Society and Natural Resources
• Tourism and Sustainable Development
• Introduction to Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources
• Teaching Practicum

I have also been fortunate enough to teach in New Zealand as part of the South Pacific and Caribbean Study Abroad Program. This program places a strong emphasis on helping students to understand how different societies and cultures view their natural resources. It also examines the relationship between sustainable development and tourism.