RPTM Kudos and Announcements November 13, 2008
Congratulations Alumni
Gary Smith ’72 (garyksmith@gmail.com) participated in the 2008 Five Points of Life bike ride covering six southeastern states, covering over 1,800 miles. A highlight of his trip was the opportunity to meet Frances Ching of Australia, to whom Gary successfully donated bone marrow in 2000. Read more about this story and Gary’s bike ride in The Bedford Gazette.
Congratulations Students
Toni Liechty was nominated for the Alumni Association Dissertation Award for her dissertation titled, “Body Image and Leisure among Older Adults.”
Ondrej Mitas was nominated for Penn State’s Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award. Here are a few quotes from some of the students who nominated Ondrej:
- He has gone over and beyond to insure that my classmates and I understand the concepts learned in class and apply them in life. He is a great example of what an instructor should be.
- I commend Ondrej on his excellent teaching. Mr. Mitas is to me an all around great teacher.
- Ondrej is someone I idolize. He is never too busy to help students outside of the classroom with revising a paper or answering questions about notes in preparation for an exam. Ondrej’s teaching methods are much different than any other instructor’s in that he makes the discussion feel as if it were a conversation with one of my fellow peers.
Nuno Ribeiro was nominated for Penn State’s Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award. Here are a few quotes from some of the students who nominated Nuno:
- From the personal name recognition at such high class numbers, to the undeniable enthusiasm you see in his teaching, these characteristics all add up to what I describe as a great, unforgettable, respectable teacher.
- Nuno isn’t just an ordinary teacher. He is someone that everyone will probably remember through their lifetime and always speak highly of him. His caring toward students and joy of teaching is what makes him an outstanding graduate teacher.
- I feel that Nuno’s excellent knowledge of the material, his ability to clearly give a lecture and relate it to the ‘real world’ and his ability to make the class fun and education make him a perfect candidate for the award.
Congratulations Faculty
Tammy Buckley is the co-principal investigator of the Penn State Inclusive Recreation for Wounded Warriors program, designed to prepare military recreation managers in assisting service members returning to active duty. This first-of-its-kind training program is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. A first session is planned for January 11-15 at the University Park campus.
John Dattilo spoke about pursuing graduate education at Penn State and the topic of inclusion and diversity to over sixty Lock Haven University Recreation Management Majors at an evening student society meeting on October 20th.
Departmental Happenings
RPTM had a presence at the Annual National Recreation and Park Congress in October:
- Faculty and graduate students making research presentations reached double digits.
- Approximately forty undergraduate and graduate students attended sessions and assisted with the RPTM booth and social.
- Over 200 alumni and friends attended the evening social.
Over 40 RPTM graduate students, faculty, staff and their families attended a potluck picnic on Sunday, October 5 at Linda Caldwell and Ed Smith's homestead to enjoy autumn festivities.
The PGM Student Society hosted Monica Stratton and Jim Blauvelt from Callaway Golf who conducted an Opti-Fit and Club Demo Session at Penn State Golf Courses on October 8. The Student Society also hosted a Long-Drive-a-Thon on October 17 to raise money for THON.
Seung Min Lee, a visiting scholar, came to RPTM three months ago and has started research in leisure education and health promotion through leisure. She is preparing a research paper with Linda Caldwell on developing leisure programs in Korea for youth with HIV. She plans to collaborate with The Management Center for Health Promotion in Incheon City, Korea.
Representatives from over thirty-five clubs and resorts attended Club Management Career Days on November 11-12, recruiting students interested in resort recreation, special event planning, banquets and catering, and golf management. The career fair was co-sponsored by RPTM, the Department of Turfgrass Science, and the School of Hospitality Management.
Did You Know?
The Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management has a group on Facebook. Stay connected with your friends, current students and fellow alumni. To join, go directly to this link. Please contact Tammy Buckley, Coordinator of Alumni Relations, at tbuckley@psu.edu or 814-867-1756 with questions.
If you have accomplished something you would like to share with the RPTM crew, please notify me. Also, if you are aware of accomplishments or quotes by our alumni, students, or staff, please let me know so I can share the news. Thank you! – John Dattilo, Professor and Department Head jxd8@psu.edu