The Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM) Blog

Kansas State Parks Director wins innovative achievement award

Posted on by Shelley Gordon

Linda Lanterman, State Parks Director for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, 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.

Lanterman serves as the current president of the National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers (NASORLO) and former president of the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD), both organizations in which Director Mainella held leadership positions.

“Linda was a natural choice for this award as her passion and charismatic leadership are reminiscent of Director Mainella,” said Bob Powell, director of Clemson University’s Institute for Parks. “She is devoted to making our nation’s parks a place of beauty, refuge and solace to everyone who wishes to visit.”

Lanterman has long been a champion for the re-authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and was active in the Great American Outdoors Act efforts, as well.  She spent time in Washington, DC, educating Congress on the importance of the re-authorization and was one of the point persons for America’s State Parks in the successful negotiations.

As President of the NASPD, she provided leadership for the organization and was instrumental in establishing NASPD’s partnership with Clemson University for the implementation of a webinar series for State Park professionals around the nation. Lanterman is a strong believer in education and training opportunities and has served at the State Park Leadership School for two terms.

In 2006, Lanterman was assistant director of Kansas State Parks when they hosted the NASPD conference that Director Mainella attended. During the event, Lanterman and Mainella spent time together, and Lanterman credits that experience for having a lasting impact on her life and career trajectory.

“Director Mainella made an impact on a young lady who never thought she could be a park director,” Lanterman said. “After that, I went on to become not only a park director, but also president of the NASPD.”

Linda is still in awe of Fran to this day, as she has made an impact on all parks and the people she has inspired.

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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 10 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.

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Clemson University Distinguished Alumni Professor to deliver lecture during annual Hartzog event

Posted on by Shelley Gordon

CLEMSON — Drew Lanham, Ph.D., award winning author, poet and Distinguished Alumni Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University will deliver a call to action for considering conservation more broadly at the 2021 George B. Hartzog Jr. Lecture at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson University. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The Clemson University Institute for Parks presents the annual lecture and an accompanying awards program to showcase leading figures in the field of conservation. The lecture and awards program are named for George B. Hartzog Jr., the seventh director of the National Park Service.

As an author, poet and public intellectual, Lanham’s work addresses the confluence of race, place and nature. A conservation and cultural ornithologist, he has mentored nearly fifty graduate students, published extensively in scientific literature and taught courses in conservation biology, forest ecology, wildlife policy, ornithology and environmental literature and nature writing.

Lanham’s lecture is titled, “Our Ecology – Mercy, Mercy Me and Thinking Like a Mountain. A New and Louder Call for Considering Conservation More Broadly.”

He is an eco-social advocate, activist and progressive rural southerner intent on making a difference for his home place. His goal is to bend hearts and minds towards a more progressive region where lost cause will be remanded to memory and museums as nature stewardship expands through prisms of multiple ethnic hues. At heart, Lanham is a man in love with nature. He is a lifelong bird watcher, avid hunter, gatherer and conservationist and works to bridge his passions among the nature-loving public. His favorite birds are the ones with feathers.

Bob Powell, director of the Institute for Parks, says that Lanham’s lecture continues a long-standing tradition.

“The Hartzog Lecture Series brings park professionals and conservationists from all walks of life together to share ideas and explore topics that are critical to the future of our nation’s parks,” he says. “Drew is a visionary, and I know everyone who attends his lecture will be inspired.”

Earlier that same day, several other esteemed leaders in the field of conservation will be honored during the George B. Hartzog Jr. Awards Luncheon. Award winners include:

  • Joel Berger, world-renowned conservationist, author and wildlife conservation chair in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University, will receive the Benton H. Box Award, which recognizes a leader who works to preserve the natural environment and an educator who inspires in students the quest for knowledge and encourages curriculum innovation.
  • Cassius Cash, Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will receive the Walter T. Cox Award for his sustained achievement, public service, and leadership in conserving and managing public lands.
  • Adam Beeco, Program Manager of Policy, Planning and Compliance in the Natural Sounds and Night Skies (NSNSD) of the National Park Service (NPS), will receive the Dwight A. Holder Award. This award recognizes outstanding work by doctoral graduates from the Clemson University parks, recreation and tourism management and forestry and environmental conservation departments.
  • Marc J. Stern, professor in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech, which recognizes sustained achievements that illuminate, provide creative insights and foster an appreciation of our natural and cultural heritage.
  • Linda Lanterman, State Parks Director for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, will receive the Fran P. Mainella Award for sustained and innovative achievement by a woman in the management of North America’s natural, historic or cultural heritage.

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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 10 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.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park superintendent recognized by Clemson Institute for Parks for conservation leadership

Posted on by Shelley Gordon

Cassius Cash, Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was recently honored with the Walter T. Cox Award by the Clemson University Institute for Parks in recognition of his sustained leadership and achievement in public service and conservation.

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.

For the last five years, Cash, a native of Memphis, TN, has been back on his home turf serving as superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – an accomplishment of which Jeff Hallo, Interim Chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University, recognizes as no small feat.

“In his role as superintendent, Cassius has proven himself to be a devoted steward of the land,” Hallo said. “Managing a park of this size is not without its own set of challenges, but his vision for the park’s land and programs has visitors’ best interests in mind.”

Since his arrival in the Great Smoky Mountains in February of 2015, Cash continues to meet the demands of more than 11.4 million park visitors annually. Most recently, he supervised the opening of the newest 15-mile section of the Foothills Parkway which extends from Walland, TN, to Wears Valley, TN.

Cash has been an in-demand speaker for nearly four years, sharing his passion for leadership, wild places, and inspiring youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. He has spoken to the Knoxville Bar Association, National Boy Scouts of America, and to the Congressional Black Caucus, to name a few. He has also been interviewed and featured in several magazines and news outlet such as Knoxville’s CityView magazine, Huffington Post, Blue Ridge Countrymagazine and CBS News.

As Cash leads the Great Smokies Park into its 103rd year, his message about the importance of embracing challenges and taking risks, the power of relationships and community and the importance of knowing yourself is just as relevant now as it was at the park’s conception.

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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 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.

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Colorado State University wildlife conservation chair wins academic leadership award

Posted on by Shelley Gordon

Joel Berger, world-renowned conservationist, author and wildlife conservation chair in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado 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. Berger earned this year’s award for outstanding leadership in conservation and the pursuit of knowledge that has taken him all over the world.

The breadth and depth of Joel’s contributions to the field of conservation are remarkable,” said Jeff Hallo, Interim Chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University. “His research crosses cultures, pushes boundaries and strives to preserve and protect our planet. He is an invaluable leader in conservation.”

Berger grew up in Los Angeles, California, where his love for surfing and desert and mountain explorations sparked a passion for science. He realized at an early age the importance of understanding biological interactions – and in an effort to conserve the diverse natural resources of our planet, began his important work of studying endangered and lesser-known animal species, climate and environmental change and migration and connectivity. Most recently, his research has been focused on how society’s burgeoning passion for play and travel affect species on a local scale.

From studying muskoxen in the Russian and Alaskan Artic and wild yaks in the Himalayas to black rhinos in the Namib Desert of southern Africa, Berger’s work has taken him to the farthest reaches of the world and back again. He has published six books – one of which is “Extreme Conservation – Life at the Edges of the World” – and has garnered support from the Guggenheim Foundation, Smithsonian, National Geographic and the National Science Foundation. His work has also resulted in the only federally protected migration corridor, Path of the Pronghorn, in the United States.

“I know in my soul that the issue is not how many peer-reviewed publications we’ve scripted, but rather how we can reach and inform policymakers at levels that incite change,” said Berger. “We have to do more than just ‘science’ to advocate for our brilliant planet.”

Berger is currently the Barbara Cox Anthony University Chair in Wildlife Conservation at Colorado State University and a senior scientist for the Bronx-based Wildlife Conservation Society.

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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 10 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.

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Clemson student turns a study abroad into an Australian career connection

Posted on by scass

When Nicole Entrup first started her undergraduate degree program at Clemson University, she didn’t think that studying abroad would be an option.

“I’m from 12 hours away in New Jersey, so was already paying out-of-state tuition,” Nicole said. “When you think of study abroad, you think of this big cost, and I just didn’t think that it would necessarily be financially attainable.”

Picture of Nicole Entrup standing in front of Uluru in Australia.
Nicole Entrup, standing by Uluru, says that the EDGE Abroad in Australia program was less expensive than she had expected.

A recreational therapy major in the Department Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Nicole had always been curious about what the field was like in other parts of the world. When she was planning her upcoming academic year, her advisor told her that a core degree requirement could be completed as a study abroad in Australia, and that the cost was similar to in-state tuition.

“The in-state tuition for EDGE in Australia made studying abroad a lot more feasible for me,” she said. “I think that also being away from home kind of opened my mind to it too, because if I could handle coming to Clemson, I could also handle going abroad to another country to see what recreational therapy and adaptive sports look like there.”

All students majoring in parks, recreation and tourism management (PRTM) are required to take a semester-long program called EDGE as part of their undergraduate degree. The focus of the semester is to prepare students for their chosen profession, while also helping them build skills and knowledge needed to succeed, such as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and collaboration.

Throughout the PRTM EDGE semester, students take advantage of multiple opportunities to learn content through the use of innovative teaching methods, undergraduate research, real-world experiences and experiential learning. Students taking the EDGE Abroad program in Australia benefit from an international context to their classroom instruction, giving them the opportunity to build global connections while exploring a different part of the world.

Nicole appreciated the program format, which gave her a manageable balance between classroom learning and building her own industry connections in her free time.

“It was a really good balance of working hard Monday through Thursday, and then you have the weekend to travel, because we don’t have Friday class,” said Nicole. “Every Wednesday would be an educational field trip to somewhere like the Australia Zoo, but we’d be there to learn from them, so it was a really cool, interactive learning experience.”

People posing in wheelchair basketball chairs at a gym in Brisbane, Australia.
Students from the 2020 EDGE Abroad in Australia class with the Sporting Wheelies youth wheelchair basketball team.

One of the connections Nicole made during her spare time was with the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association, which works to ensure that every Queenslander with a disability will have opportunities to live a more active and healthy life.

Nicole reached out to the group, attended one of their workshops and then arranged for her study abroad cohort to participate in a wheelchair basketball practice and learn more about the organization and the people it serves.

PRTM EDGE Abroad is led by PRTM faculty members Teresa Tucker and Charles Chancellor. Chancellor says that Nicole’s initiative created an exciting learning opportunity for both the students in her class and future EDGE Abroad students.

“She singlehandedly sought out the Sporting Wheelies and set up a field experience for the entire class to attend a workshop to learn about the organization that included a chance to meet and play wheelchair basketball with the athletes,” Chancellor said. “The evening was a huge hit and highlight for the entire class regardless of their emphasis area.”

Chancellor added that although EDGE Abroad students regularly make industry connections during the trip, it’s rare for a student to introduce a new industry connection for the program. The Sporting Wheelies event is now a regularly scheduled field experience on the EDGE Abroad itinerary.

Nicole is now working with recreational therapy faculty member Jasmine Townsend to involve the Sporting Wheelies in an international study of adaptive sport organizations. Nicole is also planning to pursue a master’s degree in recreational therapy after graduation, while looking for other ways to grow her Australian connections.

“I just found out that Brisbane, which is the city we stayed in, was just announced as the preferred host location for the 2032 Paralympic Summer Games,” Nicole said. “Hopefully by the time I’ve graduated and been in the field a bit, I can make my way back there with the Paralympics.”

While the on campus EDGE program is offered each fall, spring and summer, EDGE Abroad in Australia is only offered during spring semesters. Signups are underway for Spring 2022 and students are encouraged to contact their academic advisor for details.

Posted in EDGE Program, Study Abroad, Undergraduate studentsTagged , , , , ,

Clemson recreational therapy program gives, receives help from Upstate leisure program to adapt during COVID-19 challenges

Posted on by scass

Two programs in need have created a valuable partnership indeed. Pressures brought on by COVID-19 have led to an innovative partnership that is providing a lasting impact for both Clemson University Recreational Therapy program students and an Upstate organization that serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A picture of a Zoom screen, showing Clemson University interns working both in-person and virtually with Rainbow Gang participants.
Clemson University recreational therapy student interns provided both in-person and virtual therapeutic interventions for Rainbow Gang participants.

Last fall, the Rainbow Gang, a free community leisure and activity-based day program in Anderson County that provides recreation services to adults with intellectual and development disabilities, was in the process of planning to bring back in-person activity options after a fully virtual spring. They quickly realized, however, that they lacked the resources to effectively provide both virtual and in-person programming that could equally address their participants’ needs.

At the same time, three students in the recreational therapy program at Clemson University lost planned internship positions because of the pandemic. The program, which had previously worked with the Rainbow Gang on a study exploring the benefits of yoga for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, approached Program Director Kathy Schofield for help.

“We received a call from the recreational therapy program’s internship coordinator offering internship support, including bringing a Ph.D. student to our facility to supervise them,” Schofield said. “This is just what we needed to build small group programming that could serve both our in-person participants and those who needed to continue to stay home, so no one would be without activity options.”

The result was an internship program called Tiger Wellness, with two undergraduate student interns supporting programming offered both in-person and online, and a third intern working virtually from Texas. The students were able to provide recreational therapy interventions two to three times a day, with activities focused on enhancing the group’s social, mental and physical well-being.

The recreational therapy program worked closely with their accrediting agency, the Commission on the Accreditation of Recreational Therapy Education and their certifying body, the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, to ensure that accreditation and certification guidelines were followed and met, including providing an internship supervisor.

A screenshot of an art class on Zoom.
The Rainbow Gang is now working to expand their virtual program to reach other medically vulnerable participants in the community who may benefit from their programming.

Although the Rainbow Gang already had a certified recreational therapist working on-site, she didn’t yet have the one year of experience needed at her current job to supervise interns on her own. Faculty member Marieke Van Puymbroeck Chancellor took on that role, with Ph.D. student Kaitlin Mueller acting as her assistant and providing mentorship support to staff at the Rainbow Gang’s physical location.

Darby Hinson, the Rainbow Gang’s recreational therapist, said the mentorship provided by Clemson faculty and graduate students proved to be a unique and invaluable byproduct of the partnership.

“Having the advice of a person who’s supervised interns before helped prepare me for hosting my own,” Hinson said. “The Tiger Wellness program started right when I was eligible to start my own internship program, so it was helpful to have someone model what an internship program could look like.”

The program has three new interns this spring, two of which are from Clemson. They are also working to expand their virtual program to reach other medically vulnerable participants in the community who are not able to visit the center or who do not qualify for the day program.

Van Puymbroeck said that she is proud of how the team worked together to create a meaningful and innovative experience for the student interns.

“Together, we were able to turn the challenges we were facing into an incredible learning opportunity for our students,” said Van Puymbroeck. “I’m also so proud of our students who were able to be flexible and to try new and creative approaches to patient care, which is beyond what they’ve learned in the classroom.”

END

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management is part of the University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS). Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in seven disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.

Posted in Department News, Undergraduate studentsTagged , , , ,

Creating opportunity: Clemson University alumna Lee Hilderbrand Blakely

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According to the U.S. Department of Education, almost a third of undergraduate students in associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs change their major at least once. That was the case for Clemson University alumna Lee Hilderbrand Blakely (2008), who shifted her undergraduate degree focus from chemistry to communication, before a travel and tourism minor helped her discover a passion for event planning.

Clemson University alumna Lee Hilderbrand Blakely (2008).
Clemson University alumna Lee Hilderbrand Blakely (2008) turned her travel and tourism minor into a successful career.

Blakely has since applied the same philosophy to her career, using experiences in different jobs to find the perfect fit. Blakely organized events for the Chick-fil-A Bowl Game in Atlanta, sold linens to event planners throughout Charleston, and worked as both a wedding planner and in destination management before launching her own business last fall. Now she’s sharing what she’s learned along the way with students in the Clemson University Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM).

Students in the department’s program and events planning class learn about planning, implementing and evaluating leisure and recreation programs and events. Blakely will lead a group of students through a project that they will carry out in the Charleston community, where they will be required to assess the project’s needs, develop goals and objectives, and build and implement a comprehensive plan. They will then be asked to measure whether they achieved the goals and objectives they set out to accomplish.

Blakely said that applying lessons learned in the classroom to real-world experiences is invaluable, something she discovered during her own time as a PRTM student.

“My favorite class was with a professor who had worked in national parks, and who taught much of the class based off of his first-hand experiences on the job,” Blakely said. “It inspired me to go out and do my own thing and learn by experience. Now I’m excited to pass that on to other PRTM students.”

Blakely with her son and father, Van Hilderbrand (1974).
Blakely with her son and father, Van Hilderbrand (1974) – who retired from a 38 year career with the Clemson Athletics department in 2015.

Sheila Backman, Ph.D., one of Blakely’s former professors, said that Blakely was a great student who has a lot of on-the-ground knowledge to share with those currently completing their degrees, so she can help students understand what skills they need to succeed in the field.

“She exhibited positive behavior as a student, came to class on time, and was prepared and engaged – all skills that can be taken for granted, but have served her well in her past employment,” Backman said. “I expect her business to be successful, and for our students to benefit greatly from her knowledge.”

Blakely said that she’s happy to give back to her alma mater.

“I have a very deep connection with Clemson, the college and with the major as well, in many different ways,” said Blakely, whose father (Van Hilderbrand, 1974), brother (Van Hilderbrand Jr., 2002) and husband (David Blakely, 2008) are also graduates. “It’s good to keep those connections going.”

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The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management is part of the University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS). Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in seven disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.

Experience Holy City in Charleston specializes in event planning, destination management, day-of-wedding coordination and transportation for groups visiting Charleston or other parts of South Carolina. The business was founded by Lee Blakely in October 2020.

Posted in Alumni Stories, Department NewsTagged , , , ,

Clemson forestry professor recognized for championing natural and cultural heritage

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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.

William C. Everhart Award recipient Drew Lanham, Ph.D. at the boneyard in Hunting Island State Park.
William C. Everhart Award recipient Drew Lanham, Ph.D.

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.

Posted in Clemson University Institute for Parks, Department NewsTagged , ,

Clemson Institute for Parks honors George McDonald for leadership in increasing diversity in national parks

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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.

Picture of Robert G. Stanton Award Recipient George McDonald.
Robert G. Stanton Award Recipient George McDonald.

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.

Bob Stanton, the 15th Director of the National Park Service, and George McDonald sitting together at a table.
Bob Stanton, the 15th Director of the National Park Service, and George McDonald.

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.

Posted in Clemson University Institute for Parks, Department NewsTagged , , ,

Starting a career in 2020: meet Clemson PRTM alumna Aysia Cooper

Posted on by scass

By Sam Brooks, communications intern

A wedding is a special day for people all over the world. The event represents the beginning of a new adventure that will define them for the rest of their life. This was the case for Clemson University Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM) alumna Aysia Cooper; it just happened to be her sister’s wedding.

Photo of Clemson alumna Aysia Cooper.
Clemson PRTM alumna Aysia Cooper completed her degree in 2020.

Born in Greer, South Carolina, Aysia has always had big dreams and found herself at Greer Charter High School, which gave her an opportunity to begin her college education early. After high school, she planned on becoming a dental hygienist and began her college career at Greenville Tech. Everything changed however when her sister became engaged and she was tasked with planning the event.

Whether it was picking out flowers, food or a dance playlist, Aysia immersed herself in the organization and planning process. While creating the perfect day for her sister, she found a hidden gift within herself. Aysia Cooper was made for organizing, planning, leadership and creating the perfect environment for others to enjoy. Once Cooper discovered her newfound passion she realized that that dental school was not the place for her. She turned her attention to find a place that could help develop the personal gifts that had been inside her all along. 

When deciding which field to study, she realized she needed more than just a hospitality degree. She needed a program that could fully develop all of her gifts and give her the opportunity to experience new things. Aysia found her home in the PRTM department.

“I like the chaos of everything, I like logistics, I like being in charge, handling all the moving parts and figuring out how we are all going to do an event together,” said Cooper. “Being in that chaos and taking control of a situation is what initially drew me to the program.”

She found that within the PRTM department, she could develop her event management skills, while also getting marketing experience that would help her in the professional world. 

“Clemson offers a PRTM concentration that is more than tourism and management, which is different from what a lot of other schools offer,” Cooper said. “We learned about so many different concentrations within the major that helped us understand different fields.”

Aysia recalls her classes with Bill Norman, Ph.D., a professor that is still a major influence in her life today. 

“Dr. Norman does a great job of connecting his classes to real life. He genuinely cares about you as a person,” said Cooper. “Every time I need a recommendation I give him a call and Dr. Norman still checks in on me. You can tell he really wants his students to succeed.”

Aysia’s PRTM learning also helped her put her natural abilities and knowledge gained in the classroom to the test. 

“Through one of my classes we got to plan and work the Student Affairs Gala for department donors,” Aysia said. “We planned the decoration, menu, and everything in between.”

Aysia said that her time working with Student Affairs played a significant role in her professional development.

“Student Affairs is something that is extra special to me. I worked with them for so long and it was such an important part of my Clemson experience.”

After graduating in the spring of 2020, Aysia was set to begin her dream internship with the City of Greenville in their special events department. However Aysia, like many former and current students across the country, had her internship altered due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A once paid internship became unpaid and her hours were cut down severely. 

Aysia Cooper clapping at a football game.
Cooper cheering on the Clemson Tigers.

Aysia had a choice to make. She could either make the most out of what was left of her opportunity or try to find something else. Aysia chose to maximize the opportunity she had been given. She bet on herself and the abilities the Clemson PRTM department had helped her develop. After the internship with the City of Greenville, she was able to land another internship with an architecture firm doing product marketing. This opportunity led to a full-time job with the architecture firm that continued to develop her professional skills. Aysia recently accepted a new position at Clemson University as an Event Coordinator. 

Aysia’s early success came as no surprise to her favorite professor, Bill Norman. 

“When I met Aysia she had a 4.0 GPA. When Aysia graduated she had a 4.0 GPA,” said Dr. Norman. “As her professor and advisor, I challenged her in the classroom and the profession. She surpassed my expectations at every turn. Aysia represents the best of PRTM and will do a great job as an Event Coordinator at Clemson University.”

The future for Aysia Cooper is bright and sure to be filled with exciting opportunities. She dreams of doing destination marketing for the City of Greenville full-time one day. In the meantime, she continues to believe in herself, work hard and trust the lessons she learned during her time at Clemson University. 

Posted in Alumni Stories, Department NewsTagged , , ,