Month: March 2020

Faculty in Clemson’s parks, recreation and tourism management department won three of six national awards presented by The Academy of Leisure Sciences at its annual conference in February. The awards program recognizes those who have demonstrated outstanding performance in teaching, research or service in leisure studies and its related fields.

A department graduate student was also recognized for her potential as a scholar in recreation and leisure studies.

Interim Chair Jeffrey Hallo says that the awards are indicative of the impact the department’s students and scholars are making in the field.

“I’m not surprised to see such outstanding recognition of the value our faculty and students bring to the study and teaching of leisure sciences,” Hallo said. “It’s affirming to see that their colleagues throughout the country feel the same way I do about their work and commitment to their profession.”

The department’s award recipients include:

Excellence in Teaching Award – Lauren Duffy, PhD

Lauren Duffy, associate professor of travel and tourism, was recognized for consistently demonstrating an outstanding ability as a teacher of leisure sciences. Duffy’s teaching approach actively engages students in course content, creating inclusive learning environments and diversifying the methods she uses to teach. She provides opportunities for her students to work directly with community organizations and governments, ensuring the knowledge they develop is firmly rooted in both a focus on service and a practical understanding of the profession. She feels her most important job is to create critical thinkers who are prepared to engage with complex problem-solving and global issues of the 21^st century.

Duffy is also a 2019-20 Clemson University Teaching Forward Fellow and 2018 recipient of the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from The Clemson University College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences.

New Researcher Award – Ryan Gagnon, PhD

Ryan Gagnon, assistant professor of community recreation, sport and camp management, was recognized for exceptional research contributions since earning his doctorate. The award signifies Gagnon’s potential to become an exceptional member of the Academy as his career progresses.

Gagnon’s research is focused on improving out-of-school programs as contexts for youth thriving and development, exploring how out-of-school settings can best serve youth from poverty contexts and examining the role and influence of overparenting on youth development. Since 2015, Gagnon has published 28 peer reviewed journal articles, two book chapters and 22 conference proceedings, while also completing more than 48 research papers, posters and educational sessions. He’s also part of research grants and contracts totaling close to $1.5 million (including a grant from the National Science Foundation).

Gagnon has also been recognized with a Doctoral Degree Candidate Research Award (2017) from the Clemson University College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, as well as through his department and other external organizations.

Innovation in Teaching Award – PRTM Writing Mentorship Project

Faculty members: Gwynn Powell, PhD and Lauren Duffy, PhD

Inaugural PRTM Writing Mentorship Project Members: E’Lisha Fogle, Paul Gremillion, Karleisha Kakraba, Tori Kleinbort, Lisa Olsen and Lauren Stephens

The team, led by Gwynn Powell and Lauren Duffy, was recognized for transforming how their department’s undergraduate, graduate students and faculty address professional written communication. The PRTM Writing Mentorship Project applies a “learning through teaching” approach that gives graduate students the tools and skills they need to effectively coach undergraduate students – improving the writing skills and ability of both groups.

The project brought together professionals, faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students, ensuring an approach informed by professional needs and standards. This work was started through a grant from the Pearce Center for Professional Communication and is now in its third year, with improvements being made every cycle.

Powell is the only member of the Academy to have been recognized with this award three times.

Hannah Wells – TALS Future Scholar

Hannah Wells, a graduate student in the department, attended the conference as part of the Academy’s Future Scholars Program, which gives graduate students interested in pursuing a doctorate in an area related to recreation and leisure sciences an opportunity to connect with scholars in the field by attending the Academy’s annual conference. Wells was paired with an Academy mentor during the conference and received $1,000 from the Academy to cover her transportation, lodging and meal expenses.

Award recipients are chosen based on their academic ability; indications of scholarly potential in the field based on their publications, presentations and research experience; level of professionalism and their intention to pursue a doctoral degree in the future.

Wells was previously recognized in 2019 for her achievements as a student by the parks, recreation and tourism management department at Clemson. She received awards for academic excellence (department-wide), departmental honors (graduate) and academic excellence in recreational therapy.

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The parks, recreation and tourism management department at Clemson University is one of the largest and most well-recognized programs of its type in the nation. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in  community recreation, sport and camp management, park and conservation area management, PGA golf management, public administration, recreational therapy, travel and tourism, and youth development leadership.

By Natalie Googer, Clemson University Junior and Clemson Event Planners Association (CEPA) representative responsible for the career fair.

The Clemson Event Planners Association (CEPA) is a student organization that plans events and engages students with the professional community. I became interested in the organization my sophomore year when I decided to pursue a career in event planning after graduation. I am now the Event Coordinator on the Executive Board for the organization.

The CEPA executive board plans events, coordinates with other on campus organizations, and brings in speakers from the event industry. CEPA has given me the opportunity to meet professionals in the industry, such as Jennifer Dennis from Love This Little City Event Coordination and Samantha Radandt, who owns B & R Events.

Being the event coordinator for CEPA has given me many opportunities to expand my experience in event planning. One of these great experiences was planning the PRTM Career Fair. This opportunity gave me real world experience working with the university, as well as outside vendors.

The CEPA/PRTM Career, Internship and Camp Job Fair took place on February 17, 2020, however, this is a project I have been working on since the end of last school year (2019). Planning an event is a long and detailed process. Planning the career fair gave me experience in the full process of creating an event. One of the things that I love about event planning is finally seeing the event come to life after I have worked on all of the little details for months.

For the fair I worked with members of the PRTM faculty, university personnel, and outside vendors. I worked closely with the Student Event Coordinator for Campus Life, Aysia Cooper. Working with Aysia was a unique experience, because she is a PRTM student as well. I enjoyed getting to work on this event with her, and put into practice some of the things we have learned in the classroom together.

I was also in charge of student volunteers and marketing to students. Marketing an event such as a career fair to students is crucial for the event to be successful. I decided that the best ways to market to students would be flyers around campus, a presentation with video, and most importantly social media. With the help of the PRTM communications team, we created a video that talked about the importance of the career fair, and some tips on how to be successful at the fair.

We interviewed PRTM students from different concentrations to cover a variety of experiences. This video was then attached to a PowerPoint presentation that was emailed to students and to faculty to share at the beginning of classes leading up to the career fair. The goal of the presentation and video was to encourage students to go to the fair, and be prepared to make connections. We also featured parts of the video and other stories from the PRTM blog on the PRTM Facebook and Instagram accounts, because we believe that students pay the most attention to marketing via social media.

Marketing this event to students is another experience that I know will help me in my future career. Knowing how to target a specific audience and market to that audience is a key part of a successful event.

Overall, planning the PRTM Career Fair was a great experience for me. I got to use practices that I have learned in my PRTM classes and practicum experiences to put on an event to help other Clemson students. I am thankful I had the opportunity to plan this event through CEPA, and am excited for how this experience will help me in my future internships and career!

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The CEPA/PRTM Career, Internship and Camp Job Fair is an annual event that helps students meet employers in the field and network for practicums, internships or job opportunities. Learn more about the career fair, including participating employers.

You often hear people say, “there’s something in” Clemson’s hills, but there’s also something in its streams. That’s where you’ll find groups of Clemson University students casting flies when the weather’s right.

Mike Watts has been teaching fly fishing as part of the university’s leisure skills program for about 15 years, and estimates he’s taught about 800 students to tie flies, cast a fly rod and understand the ecosystem where the fish they’re hoping to catch thrive.

“Our classes are about fly fishing made simple, but also about the environment that supports the fish and why that’s important,” Watts says. “We also take the time to talk about conservation of our natural habitats and why that matters.”

Fly fishing is one of more than 150 one-credit learning options students can take in subjects such as dance, shotgun sports, yoga, fitness, outdoor recreation, sports and first aid. Class sections are taught by experts in each respective field and coordinated by Clemson’s parks, recreation and tourism management department, which applies a research focus to course development and management.

Students take a leisure skills class for a number of reasons, such as introducing themselves to new activities, or exploring potential new hobbies or career options. Fly fishing is one of the program’s most popular class options.

Eleven years ago, the fly fishing class started growing exponentially, so Watts brought on another instructor to meet the demand. Watts and Mike Harvell have been splitting fly fishing classes ever since. Harvell has been fishing since 1960 and says that teaching the class has helped him continue to share his passion for the hobby with others.

“I’ve always liked fishing,” Harvell says. “I learn new things every time I go out, and I like seeing our students experience that, too.”

Classes are taught using the philosophy that the fisherman that only enjoys the catching of the fish is a miserable person 90 percent of the time.

“The point of fly fishing is partly to catch a fish, but it also helps you build an understanding of what fish eat and how that relates to different flies,” says Watts. “You need to know the natural environment to successfully catch a fish and would do it differently if you’re trout fishing in the mountains or salt water fishing on the coast.”

After their leisure skills class ends, many students keep fishing through the CU Fly Fishing Club, with about two-thirds of them becoming members or participating in club events and many more following them on their Instagram account, which has more than 1,200 followers. The group plans group fishing expeditions and shares photos of successful catches by its members. The club was founded by Watts and former student Robert DiBenedetto, who found his passion for fly fishing is also furthering his career.

“My first job interview centered around my leadership of the CU Fly Fishing Club and got me a job in the United States House of Representatives,” DiBenedetto says. “I also just formed a new relationship with a prominent businessman because of our mutual love for fly fishing and my background with the fly fishing class and club at Clemson.”

Another of their former students, Sam Caruso, who graduated from Clemson University with a Bioengineering degree in 2015, says that the weekly classes were an opportunity to break away from the rush to complete their degree by giving them something else to focus on.

“The best part, however, is the continual growth and connection that takes place after the course,” says Caruso, who’s kept in touch with Watts long after his class ended.

Dan Anderson, who runs the leisure skills program, says that Watts and Harvell have found a unicorn of sorts on campus.

“Creating a huge fly fishing community on campus from scratch and then keeping the student club going through leadership changes every couple of years is a major achievement,” Anderson says. “Their ongoing work with these classes and that club demonstrates the passion they have for the students and the sport.”

Information about Clemson University’s leisure skills classes are available in the undergraduate catalog.