Professor of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management Previous academic positions: Texas A&M University - Department of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Sciences (2008-2016; tenured 2014) Awards, Honors and Recognitions: Research awards: Clemson University Distinguished Alumni Award in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (2020) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Alumni Association Faculty Excellence in Research Award (UGA; 2019) Sarah H. Moss Fellowship Recipient (UGA; 2018-2019) Teaching awards: Warnell Alumni Association Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching (UGA; 2020) Herrick Superior Teaching Award (UGA; 2018) University Professorship for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Finalist (Texas A&M; 2015) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean's Outstanding Achievement Award for Early Career Teaching Recipient (Texas A&M; 2013) Fish Camp Namesake (Texas A&M; 2013) Montague Center for Teaching Excellence Scholars Program (Texas A&M; 2012-2013) Student Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence (Texas A&M; 2011) Student Led Award for Teaching Excellence (Texas A&M; 2010) Student Led Award for Teaching Excellence (Texas A&M; 2009) Education Education: Ph.D., Community Tourism, Clemson University, 2008 M.S., Forestry and Forest Products, Virginia Tech, 2003 B.S., Leisure Studies - Parks and Natural Resource Management, University of Illinois, 2001 Research Labs/Centers/Committee: Dr. Woosnam Lab Area of Specialty: Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Research Areas: Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Research Interests: Research methods in social sciences Human dimensions of wildlife Human-wildlife interactions Impacts of tourism Economic, socio-cultural, environmental impacts Sustainable community tourism development and planning International tourism development Community festival planning, management, and impacts Theoretical approaches to examining resident-tourist interactions and relationships within destinations Emotional solidarity, social distance, inclusion-of-self-in-other, contact hypothesis, etc Resource-dependent/amenity-rich communities experiencing change Natural disasters, shifting economies, etc. Teaching: Courses taught at the University of Georgia PRTM 5700/7700: Community tourism: Impacts, management, and planning PRTM 5410/7410: Protected area management PRTM 4700: Social science research methods PRTM 4650/6650: Field Course in PRTM PRTM 1100e: Introduction to travel and tourism (online) FANR 4500: Senior project FANR 1100: Natural resource conservation FYOS 1001: Cultural heritage tourism and its impact on society Current graduate students' committees chairing: Joseph Barr (PhD) Tara Denley (PhD) Charles Davis (MNR) Erin Hadjidakis (MNR) Jackson Mower (MNR)
