Category: Clemson University Institute for Parks

Drew Lanham, Ph.D., Distinguished Alumni Professor and Provost’s Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University, was recently honored with the William C. Everhart Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of sustained achievements that provide creative insights and that foster an appreciation of our natural and cultural heritage.

The Institute for Parks presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. The awards are named for visionary leaders who make significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

Judy Braus, Executive Director for the North American Association for Environmental Education, said while presenting the award that it is a testament to his outstanding contributions to conservation and education, and to making the world a brighter, kinder and more equitable place for everyone.  

“Drew has been such a wonderful friend to the environmental education community and is such a talented writer, speaker, poet, photographer and influencer,” Braus said. “He inspires all of us to do more and to be braver in helping to break down the systemic racism that has been part of our country since it’s beginning.” 

Clemson University Chief Academic Officer and first Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Robert H. Jones said that Dr. Lanham is an extraordinary scholar and an inspiration to all.

“Few people are so capable of reaching across social boundaries to drive home the significance of conservation and nature,” said Provost Jones. “That he does so through both art and science makes him truly unique among America’s contemporary conservation leaders.”

A native of Edgefield and Aiken, SC and a Clemson University faculty member since 1995, Lanham is an internationally respected ornithologist, as well as a naturalist, bird-adorer watcher and conservationist-hunter. He is a past board member of several organizations including the National Audubon Society, Aldo Leopold Foundation, American Birding Association and BirdNote. He is also the former Chairperson of the advisory board for Audubon South Carolina and was a twelve year member of the SC Wildlife Federation, serving as the organization’s affiliate representative for most of that tenure. 

Lanham is also a widely published author and poet. His work shares his passion for place and draws upon personal insights to illuminate personal and societal conflicts that sometimes put conservation and culture at odds. Drew was named the Poet Laureate for Edgefield, South Carolina in 2018 and is the author of Sparrow Envy- Poems and Sparrow Envy – A Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts (Hub City Press 2018; 2021). 

His award winning book, The Home Place-Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature (print by Milkweed Editions 2016/ audiobook by Tantor Media 2019; Burroughs Medal Finalist 2016; 2018 SELC Reed Environmental Writing Award; 2020 Scholarly Book of the Decade; 2020 Memoir of the Decade) exemplifies his passion to define environmental sustainability and conservation in new ways by bridging the gaps between advocacy, education, inspiration, and conservation. 

His Orion Magazine essay, “Forever Gone” a lyrical treatise on extinction, was chosen as a Best American Essay for 2018 by Rebecca Solnit. He has also been summer faculty at the Bread Loaf Environmental Writing Workshop (2019, 2020) and the Writing in the Ruins Workshop (2012). Lanham is currently a Contributing Editor for Orion Magazine and was the 2019 winner of the National Audubon Society’s Dan W. Lufkin Conservation Award and the 2016 North American Association of Environmental Educator’s Rosa Parks and Grace Lee Parks Service Award. As a Black American, he’s intrigued with how ethnic and racial prisms bend perceptions of nature and its care. His forthcoming book, Range Maps — Birds, Blackness and Loving Nature Between the Two, will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) of New York.

“Drew has done so much in his personal and professional work to ensure that future generations have the opportunities to enjoy and love nature, regardless of the color of their skin or their background,” said Braus. “He pushes all of us to learn and care and do more. I really cannot say enough good things about Drew. He is so special to me and to so many others. No one deserves this award more than him.”

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Watch Judy Braus present the award to Dr. Lanham and his acceptance speech.

The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 10 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

George McDonald, the chief of youth programs for the National Park Service (NPS), has received the Robert G. Stanton Award from the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his leadership attracting and developing the next generation of diverse park leaders and connecting an increasingly diverse public to the relevance of their national parks.

The institute presents the annual awards program, named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of parks and conservation. Specific awards are named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients follow in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our heritage.

The Robert G. Stanton Award is named in appreciation of the remarkable career of  the first African-American Director of the NPS. The award recognizes sustained and innovative achievement in promoting racial or ethnic diversity in the management of North America’s natural, historic and cultural heritage.

Among Stanton’s many accomplishments were the expansion of the interpretation of diverse cultural meanings inherent in national parks and increased participation by racial and ethnic minorities as both visitors and employees. Stanton says that McDonald’s career in the NPS is similarly focused on making parks accessible to all.

“I could cite a number of programs that have been inaugurated under George’s leadership and his unwavering commitment to engaging youth in this noble endeavor that we call conservation,” said Stanton. “George has successfully launched, and indeed increased, youth participation in a variety of programs and was especially focused towards increasing diversity in these programs.”

Throughout his 20-year career in the NPS, McDonald has played a key role in projects designed to enhance and increase the number of underserved, minority and disadvantaged youth participating in park activities and engaging in employment and educational opportunities. He developed a service-wide funding source for the Youth Partnerships Program in collaboration with the NPS’s budget office in 2007, in order to support youth development programming that focuses on education, recreation, volunteer service and employment, and that engages diverse audiences.

“I am thrilled George is being honored with this award. His dedication to expanding opportunities for young people from every background to connect with their national parks has truly changed lives,” said Margaret Everson, Counselor to the Secretary exercising the delegated authority of the National Park Service Director. “His unmatched energy and collaborative spirit have spurred innovative partnerships that provide access and employment opportunities to thousands of young people every year. I can’t wait to see his lasting impact through the new generation of public lands stewards his work continues to empower.”

His career centers on building mutually beneficial partnerships, such as the NPS Boy Scouts of America Resource Stewardship Scout Ranger Program, established in 2007, and the NPS Girl Scout Ranger program started the following year. In 2014, he developed the NPS-YMCA Partner Program, which brings between 9,000 and 10,000 YMCA day campers per year into national parks for recreation and education and in 2015, he forged a partnership program with Boys and Girls Clubs. McDonald is currently developing federal guidelines for a new Indian Youth Service Corps Program.

McDonald is also focused on creating pathways to employment for Black, Hispanic and Native American youth. He created the NPS’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Internship Program in 2011 and the Latino Heritage Internship Program in 2013, making internship opportunities available to dozens of students throughout the country every year. The Mosaics in Science Internship Program, developed in 2012, provides science-based internship opportunities to racially diverse undergraduate and graduate students.

He has also led projects of major significance for the NPS, such as assisting in the development of the African Burial Ground National Monument and the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site as well as serving as the project manager for the National Museum for African American History and Culture Presidential Commission (2002-03), which led to the successful development of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall.

Stanton says that he continues to be impressed by McDonald’s passion and dedication for his work, and for ensuring that parks are accessible to everyone, regardless of their race, gender or background.

“George has been recognized nationally by a number of organizations for his commitment and his accomplishments,” said Stanton. “I have had the opportunity to know and work with George for a number of years and I can personally attest to his commitment.”

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Watch former Director Stanton present the award to George McDonald, followed by McDonald’s award acceptance speech.

The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 10 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the Institute for Parks website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Paul Leonard, Ph.D., Science Coordinator for the Arctic Program of the US Fish & Wildlife Service in Fairbanks, Alaska, was recently honored with the Dwight A. Holder Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his outstanding work as a conservation researcher and teacher.

The Institute for Parks presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical and cultural heritage.

The Dwight A. Holder Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Mr. Holder’s illustrious career as an entrepreneur and public servant, which included leading South Carolina’s parks to a new era of service. Dr. Leonard received this award for outstanding work and sustained achievement that fosters understanding, wise use and conservation of natural and cultural resources.

Professor Rob Baldwin Endowed Chair and Professor of Conservation Biology at Clemson University, said when presenting the award that Leonard is one of those unique public servants who cares more about the land than their own careers. 

“As a scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he has applied his understanding of landscape ecology and conservation biology to complex problems surrounding climate change, native peoples, wildlife migration and energy extraction,” Baldwin said. “Paul has made an early impact as a researcher and I’m excited to see where his career continues to take him.”

Leonard earned his master and doctoral degrees at Clemson University and was a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) before moving to Alaska in 2018. Working with multiple levels of government, NGOs and Alaska native communities, the goal of his research is to provide resource managers and partners with the information, science and translational tools necessary to be better stewards of functional ecosystems. He investigates ecological patterns and processes using applied, bottom-up questions that deal with everything from Caribou movement ecology to the recreational experiences in soundscapes and viewsheds of wilderness. 

Before moving to Alaska, Leonard was developing a conservation plan for a 15-state conservation cooperative centered around the Central and Southern Appalachians. This planning process incorporated thousands of private parcels, conservations easements, state and national parks, and other public lands and placed them into a framework for understanding their contribution to regional conservation efforts. This work was conducted during his postdoctoral fellowship, where he was first inspired by the power of federal agencies to bring people together to plan for future landscapes.

Baldwin is inspired by Leonard’s work and vision for conservation and hopes his career brings him close to Clemson’s hills again sometime in the future. 

“Today he explores the trails and waterways of the land he is committed to conserve,” said Baldwin. “He is an avid birder, and like the birds he watches, he will migrate again someday. We hope his travel lands somewhere near here, if only for a stopover.”

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Watch Robert Baldwin, Ph.D., present the award to Paul Leonard, Ph.D. and his acceptance speech.

The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 10 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Kerri Cahill, Ph.D., Branch Chief of the National Park Service’s Denver Service Center Planning Division, was recently honored with the Walter T. Cox Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of her sustained leadership and achievement in public service that preserves our natural and cultural heritage.

The Institute for Parks presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service (NPS), to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical and cultural heritage.

The Walter T. Cox Award recognizes park administrators that exemplify Dr. Cox’s distinguished career in education and public service, which included his tenure as President of Clemson University and as the Director of the Santee-Cooper Authority.

Jeff Hallo, Interim Chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University, said when presenting the award that Cahill’s contributions span across regions, national programs, other agencies and with international partners. She has also applied a scientific lens to her agency’s planning work.

“In her role as branch chief, Dr. Cahill has built a truly amazing technical team in the field of visitor use management and socioeconomics,” Hallo said. “This is one of her greatest accomplishments and has truly impacted our field for the positive.”

Hallo adds that having a centralized team at the Denver Service Center ensures that technical expertise and leadership is available to parks and other land management agencies looking to understand and respond to needs and opportunities related to visitor use.

Cahill began her career in public service with a county environmental management department in Florida, and then went on to work for Florida State Parks, Office of Park Planning. During this time, she was inspired by planning as a forum for conversation to welcome a wide range of voices, along with integrating science and policy. Her work at the National Park Service began in 2003 after completing her Ph.D. at Virginia Tech in Forestry, specializing in recreation management. She has worked on a diverse array of projects in support of parks, including helping build the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council in 2011. Cahill chairs the council, which coordinates across six federal agencies to provide consistent guidance and tools for visitor use management. The council has produced several guidebooks on best practices and is developing related training. This guidance has been integrated into many projects, agency policy, and is now being adapted for use in other local, state, and federal agencies in the United States and around the world.

In addition to these accomplishments, Cahill helped develop planning guidelines for the National Park Service related to the topics of visitor use management and visitor capacity and co-led an NPS working group on visitor use management that developed tools and a central portal of resources for the agency.

Cahill has also collaborated with the international community, developing and sharing best practices for managing visitor use on public lands and waters. She received other awards during her career, including the 2017 George Wright Society Social Science Achievement Award and the 2016 Legends Award from the American Recreation Coalition. Cahill is forever grateful for these amazing career experiences and continues to be passionate about her work and collaborating with her talented colleagues in the National Park Service.

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Watch Jeff Hallo, Ph.D., present the award to Kerri Cahill, Ph.D. and Cahill’s acceptance speech.

The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 10 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Kelly S. Bricker, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism at the University of Utah, was recently honored with the Benton H. Box Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of her academic and instructional leadership in preserving our natural environment and inspiring the next generation of park and conservation leaders. 

The Institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of parks and conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical and cultural heritage.

The Benton H. Box Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Dr. Box’s distinguished career as an educator and administrator. Dr. Bricker shares this year’s award with John W. Day Jr., Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, and College of the Coast and Environment at Louisiana State University, for leadership in preserving our natural environment and inspiring in students the quest for knowledge and the development of an environmental ethic.

Matt Brownlee, Associate Professor of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences at Clemson University, said when presenting the award that its description aptly reflects Dr. Bricker’s achievements as a scholar, teacher, and university administrator. 

“As a scholar, Kelly has co-authored and edited seven books focused on sustainable tourism and published several peer reviewed journal articles, yielding more than 2,500 citations,” said Brownlee. “She also has a prolific speaking record, travelling to more international destinations for keynote speeches in a single month than most of us dream of in a lifetime.”

Brownlee added that the encouragement and support Dr. Bricker provides to her students and faculty is also unmatched. “As a teacher and mentor, Kelly effectively guides students with empathy and support, while also challenging them to teach beyond their preconceived goals, climbing to new heights,” he said. “As an administrator, Dr. Bricker is equally kind and tenacious and, like water over limestone, she consistently and patiently perseveres without wavering once strategic goals are collectively identified.”

Over the past four decades, Bricker has focused her career on nature-based recreation and tourism as tools for conservation, sustainable resource management, and rural economic development. Her expertise blends more than 20 years of practical, on-the-ground experience in land management, environmental education, nature-based recreation and tourism, with an academic focus on social science research that examines the relationships between socio-economic, environmental and cultural management. In addition to her Professor and Department Chair roles at the University of Utah, Dr. Bricker serves on the boards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the Tourism and Protected Area Specialist Group of the IUCN and the Central Wasatch Stakeholders Council. 

In 1998, Bricker and her husband launched an ecotourism program focused on river conservation and community well-being in the Republic of Fiji, called Rivers Fiji. The program is a unique collaboration between several landowning groups, a logging company and the area’s Native Land Trust Board focused on conservation. Together, they established the country’s first conservation area of its kind and its first internationally designated Wetland of International Importance, also called a Ramsar site. In return for their involvement, area partners receive lease payments, user fees and employment opportunities focused on sustainable, ‘leave no trace’ tourism. This creative approach to conservation has protected and preserved 28 kilometers of wetlands and pristine river habitat in the highlands of Fiji for future generations, while also promoting and preserving its people and heritage. 

Brownlee says that Dr. Bricker and her work continues to make a profound impact on the world and on the people she meets. “My life is better because I know Kelly. The fact is, my life is just not better, but it’s been positively transformed because of our collaborations,” said Brownlee. “Anyone lucky enough to interact with Kelly, operate under her leadership or receive her mentorship is better for it.”

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Watch Matthew Brownlee, Ph.D., present the award to Kelly S. Bricker, Ph.D. and Bricker’s acceptance speech.

The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and this year’s recipients.

John W. Day Jr., Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, College of the Coast and Environment, at Louisiana State University, was recently honored with the Benton H. Box Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his academic and instructional leadership.

The Institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical and cultural heritage.

The Benton H. Box Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Dr. Box’s distinguished career as an educator and administrator. Day shares this year’s award with Kelly S. Bricker, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism at the University of Utah, for leadership in preserving our natural environment and inspiring in students the quest for knowledge and the development of an environmental ethic.

William Conner, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences at Clemson University, said when presenting the award that his academic partnership with Day began in 1973, when Conner became one of his first graduate students. Almost five decades later, they are still working together– a testament to Day’s ongoing commitment to wetlands research and conservation throughout the world.

“During his career, John has always impressed upon his students the importance of wetlands and the impact man and nature has on them,” said Conner. “We’ve come away with an understanding from John that we need to preserve and protect the wetlands for the future generations that are coming behind us, because of all of the important ecosystem services that wetlands provide.”

John W. Day, Jr. began his career at Louisiana State University in 1971 and he has published extensively on the ecology and management of coastal and wetland ecosystems including the Mississippi Delta.  Day worked with noted ecologist Dr. H.T. Odum on his Ph.D. in marine and environmental sciences, which he earned from the University of North Carolina. He was a visiting professor in the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National University of Mexico in 1978-1979, at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands during 1986, at the Laboratoire d’Ecologie, Unversité Claude Bernard in Arles France during 1992-93, and in the Department of Geography at Cambridge University in 2000-2001. He has also worked at the University of Campeche and the Institute of Ecology in Xalapa, Mexico, and studied the impacts of climate change in the Mediterranean’s Venice Lagoon and Po, Rhone and Ebro deltas between 1992 and 2007. 

Day has served as major professor for 70 master’s and doctoral students, written and edited 17 books and monographs, and published over 400 peer-reviewed articles, with his work being cited more than 25,000 times. He has received several awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship for study in France, the Estuarine Research Federation Cronin Award for excellence in teaching in coastal sciences and the National Wetlands Award. He has also served on many panels and committees, including serving as chair of the National Technical Review Committee for the Mississippi delta’s restoration program and its Science and Engineering Special Team, which is focused on restoration efforts, as well as the Scientific Steering Committee of the Future Earth Coasts program, an international coastal science effort. Finally his current work focuses on addressing the impacts of 21st century megatrends on the sustainability of natural and human systems. 

“I can think of no better person for this year’s award,” said Conner. “It’s been my honor to work with John for the last 47 years, and to him I say congratulations.”

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Watch William Conner, Ph.D. present the award to John W. Day, Jr. and Day’s acceptance speech.

The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and this year’s recipients.

When Ron Walker was first offered the job of National Park Service (NPS) Director in 1973, he turned it down.

A former chief advance man to President Nixon, Walker had traveled across the country and around the globe, making sure everything was in place before a presidential visit. He had no experience with national parks and wasn’t sure why he was offered the role.

He was told to sleep on it before making a final decision. As he talked the opportunity over with his family, he recalled his time in the military, which taught him that you don’t say “no” to the President of the United States.

He accepted the job the next morning.

Over the next two years, Walker guided the NPS through a tumultuous time that saw 14 new park areas added to its mandate, including the first two national preserves.

According to Phil Gaines, professor of practice at Clemson University and retired director of South Carolina’s state parks, Walker is a legend in the parks and conservation field for several reasons.

“Ron Walker is one of the best examples of leading under fire that you can find,” Gaines said. “He’s also known for identifying and then developing staff from throughout the NPS system that had the potential to become great leaders.”

The Ron Walker Leadership Development program at Clemson University is designed in a similar way. The program brings together new and emerging leaders from state and national parks to strengthen their critical-thinking and decision-making skills. Participants spend four days at Clemson University, working as a group to discuss challenging park management issues and how to use research to inform their decision-making process.

Clemson faculty at the Institute for Parks developed the program to build transformative and effective leaders that are ready to fill leadership roles that are becoming vacant at unprecedented rates in parks systems across the country due to an aging workforce.

The United States Office of Personnel Management’s strategic plan estimates that 30 percent of the federal workforce reached retirement age in 2018. The Department of the Interior (which houses the National Park Service) is planning for 33.6 percent of their staff to reach retirement age by 2023.

Many of those starting to look towards retirement are in leadership positions, creating a possible leadership vacuum for the National Park Service.

The leadership development program is intended to fill those gaps, says Bob Powell, director of the Institute for Parks.

“Parks are facing increasingly complex challenges, and up-and-coming leaders need a wide range of skills to develop sustainable solutions,” Powell said. “When a participant leaves this program, we want them to return to their host park ready to apply approaches they’ve learned to challenges they’re currently facing and prepare for issues they are likely to face in the future.”

The first group of park leaders completed the leadership development program in October and are already seeing an impact on how they approach key issues on the job.

Priscilla Geigis, deputy commissioner for conservation and resource stewardship at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, says that the program discussions have helped her look at issues a different way.

“I now want to find opportunities to use technology more regularly to gather information to help make informed decisions,” Geigis said. “I also want to collaborate with universities to not only see issues with a different lens but to also back up decisions with credible research.”

Matt Whitlow, an Outdoor Recreation Planner with the National Park Service, said that he found the discussions with researchers and practitioners in the parks field beneficial.

“Being immersed in multiple days of conversations with researchers and practitioners representing multiple levels of government agencies and learning how research is being conducted in different parks and park settings was one of the greatest benefits of the program,” Whitlow said.

Since completing the program, Whitlow has been reviewing and interpreting the laws, regulations and policies associated with his core responsibilities to ensure the work he does is rooted in both fidelity to the law and serves the long-term public interest.

Planning is currently underway for the second class of park leaders, who will attend the program at Clemson University in October 2020.

Geigis says one of the most valuable lessons she took away from the week was the need for park leaders to navigate change in a way that ensures parks can stay relevant while maintaining the park system’s core values.

“Being part of a rich legacy of park professionals is an honor, privilege and responsibility,” Geigis said. “I was impressed to meet with key leaders in the profession and hear them share their stories and offer advice about both navigating challenges and recognizing and seizing opportunities.”

Chris Lehnertz, President and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, was recently honored with the Fran P. Mainella Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of her long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion in our nation’s parks.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

The Fran P. Mainella Award is named in appreciation of the dynamic career of Fran Mainella, the first female director of the National Park Service. The award recognizes sustained and innovative achievement by a woman in the management of America’s natural, historic and cultural heritage.

Brett Wright, dean emeritus of Clemson University’s college of behavioral, social and health sciences, presented the award to Ms. Lehnertz at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Wright, Lehnertz has a passion for making parks relevant, accessible, inclusive and welcoming for all.

“Recognizing that 36 percent of our national parks are now in urban areas, Chris is committed to advancing the role these sites can play in supporting civic needs such as education and literacy, wellness and urban quality of life,” continues Dr. Wright. “She’s worked hard throughout her career to bring different perspectives, people and communities to our parks, to make these public lands and our nation as a whole, stronger and more united.”

Lehnertz has also made inclusion of the Bay Area’s more than seven million residents a focus of her new role as president and CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

“As the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS) at the GGNRA, the Parks Conservancy is committed to amplifying the park’s inclusion efforts,” she says. “I believe parks can spark powerful change. With community partners, we offer education and literacy programming, health and wellness activities, and youth leadership programs to serve our local residents.”

Lehnertz started her park career as deputy superintendent at Yellowstone National Park, later serving as the regional director for the Pacific West Region, and superintendent at both Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. She successfully led several complex and challenging projects and issues, and was also deeply involved in multiple strategic planning efforts, many of which have resulted in crucial park accomplishments like the addition of lands to Joshua Tree National Park, policy on the Revisiting Leopold Report (2012) for resource stewardship in the 21^st century, a modern and sustainable design for a new transcanyon waterline at Grand Canyon National Park and plans for an Inter-tribal cultural site at Desert View in Grand Canyon. She also played a role in the addition of four new units to the national park system – César E. Chávez National Monument, Honouliuli National Monument, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

Before her work with the NPS, Chris fulfilled her passion for protecting the natural world in posts at the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Throughout her career, she has worked to establish a people-first culture. She served five years on the NPS Safety Leadership Council, resulting in a new national system of safety designed to improve safety, health, and wellness in every park unit and for every NPS program. She has focused her career on establishing a culture of respect and inclusion in spaces where people could be safe, feel secure, and find support.

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars working on park-related research.

The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is the primary nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS) at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The GGNRA spans nearly 84,000 acres, preserves nationally significant cultural sites such as Alcatraz and Fort Point, and is part of the UNESCO Golden Gate Biosphere reserve that includes vital marine, coastal, and upland resources at Muir Woods, Crissy Field and the Marin Headlands.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Dr. Ryan Sharp, associate professor in the park management and conservation program at Kansas State University, was recently honored with the Benton H. Box Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his academic and instructional leadership in the environmental field.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. Specific awards were named after visionary leaders that Hartzog respected and admired. Award recipients are following in Hartzog’s footsteps by making significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

The Benton H. Box Award recognizes academic professionals that exemplify Dr. Box’s distinguished career as an educator and administrator. Dr. Sharp shared this year’s award with Stephen C. Trombulak, Professor Emeritus of biology and biosphere studies at Middlebury College, for leadership in preserving our natural environment and inspiring in students the quest for knowledge and the development of an environmental ethic.

Matt Brownlee, associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at Clemson University, presented the award to Dr. Sharp at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Brownlee, Dr. Sharp’s focus on finding solutions to complicated and multi-faceted management research problems in American parks, coupled with his ability to connect with park managers, is unmatched.

“I’ve had the great privilege of collaborating on a number of different research endeavors with Dr. Sharp, working in parks from Alaska to Georgia,” he says. “His ability to translate complicated academic theory and research approaches into pragmatic solutions is unrivalled in the research community.”

Dr. Sharp obtained his PhD in natural resources, recreation & tourism from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, his M.Ed. from Georgia College in outdoor recreation, and a BS in education from the State University of New York at Cortland. He was also part of the inaugural group of fellows for the George Wright Society’s Park Break program (now offered as a partnership between the Society and Institute for Parks), which brings a diverse set of graduate students to national parks for a week-long service-based learning experience. He’s since become an active champion for the program, helping to plan, fund, and administer severalpark break excursions. He was also designated an Institute for Parks scholar in April 2019 in recognition of his long history of working in park science.

Throughout his teaching career, Dr. Sharp has always found ways to get his students out into the field, to provide hands-on experiences and opportunities to connect with park professionals. He also includes a service component in his field courses, in hopes of instilling the value of contributing to their communities. Dr. Sharp’s students at Kansas State University have participated in projects across the U.S., such as Grand Canyon National Park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and Cumberland Island National Seashore.

“Ryan needs parks and, respectfully, parks need Ryan,” continues Brownlee. “We are lucky to have him in this world.”

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars, including Dr. Sharp, working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.

Dr. Carolyn Ward, Chief Executive Officer of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, was recently honored with the William C. Everhart Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of sustained achievements that provide creative insights and that foster an appreciation of our natural and cultural heritage.

The institute presents the annual awards program, which is named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service, to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. The awards are named for visionary leaders who make significant contributions to the management of parks and preservation of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.

Dr. Ward received the William C. Everhart Award because of her longstanding commitment to connecting people to our country’s natural and cultural places and resources, and her contributions to the field of interpretation.

Bob Powell, director of the Institute for Parks, presented the award to Dr. Ward at a ceremony on October 22. According to Dr. Powell, Ward’s passionate leadership in the interpretation field has been instrumental in ensuring the field is evidence-based and moving forward.

“For many years, the philosophies and principles underlying the profession of interpretation have largely been followed based on faith and were largely untested,” he says. “She is a longstanding champion for the importance of research in informing the interpretation field as it evolves to meet the needs of the 21^st century public.”

Dr. Ward’s distinguished career has spanned three decades, from field interpreter at Hungry Mother State Park to CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the primary philanthropic partner to the Blue Ridge Parkway. With more visitors than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon combined, the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most visited units of the National Park Service. Under Ward’s leadership, the foundation has provided over $14 million to support programs and projects that continue to help preserve and protect the parkway.

Dr. Ward was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwestern Virginia, graduated from Emory and Henry College, and received her master’s degree and PhD from Virginia Tech in Forestry. She is a decorated professor and award-winning researcher and author whose life’s work has been dedicated to building bridges and making connections. While working at Humboldt State University, Ward grew a modern and comprehensive interpretive program and conducted field research across the country. In 2009, she launched the ‘Kids in Parks’ program in partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, which unites National Park Service, state parks, community groups, the Eastern Band of Cherokee, and nonprofit organizations around the goal of getting more kids moving outdoors and connected to public lands. The Kids in Parks program now features 200 trails in 12 states and has facilitated over one million adventures for kids and families.

“Dr. Ward’s sustained leadership, grit and determination has left a lasting legacy across the US and the World and has positively influenced countless agencies, managers, interpreters, as well as the general public,” continues Dr. Powell. “Carolyn is an important and powerful role model that has blazed a trail of success in a field that has been traditionally male dominated. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient for this award.”

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The Clemson University Institute for Parks (CUIP) provides research, education, training, and outreach that enhances the management of the world’s parks and protected areas. It accomplishes this by providing park and protected area managers with innovative research to support science-based decision-making; and by developing current and future leaders in the park movement by providing interdisciplinary and transformative education and training programs. The Institute currently consists of 35 Fellows and 8 Scholars working on park-related research.

Visit the CUIP website for more information about the George B. Hartzog, Jr. Environmental Awards program and its recipients.