RPTM Kudos and Announcements: May 18, 2009
Congratulations Alumni
Joanne Finegan ’83 (jfinegan@remed.com) was the commencement speaker at Penn State Brandywine on May 16. Finegan is CEO of ReMed Recovery Care Center, a rehabilitation and long-term care center in Paoli, Pennsylvania, for those with acquired brain injuries. She is also a member of the Penn State Brandywine advisory board.
The PGM Alumni Board recently elected officers for the 2009-2011 term. The new officers are:
- Joe Hughes ’99 (jdh174@psu.edu), President
- Mason Champion ’98 (mason.champion@smithbarney.com), Vice President
- Jason Marciniec ’04 (jtm223@gmail.com), Secretary
- Travis Geiger ’02 (trge@gimaex-usa.com), Non-Industry Representative
Congratulations Students
Undergraduate students in the Therapeutic Recreation option (Jason Forsythe, Eden Gilligan, Melissa Lennox, Stacey Mellen, Rose Skiba, Amanda Williams, Samantha Blazer, and Lisa Phillips) and faculty member Patty Kleban participated in the first annual fundraising walking event sponsored by Easter Seals of Central Pennsylvania on May 2. The walk, which is known as Easter Seals Walk with Me, raised approximately $10,000 for the local chapter.
Graduate student Elizabeth Weybright received a Small Project grant from the College of Health and Human Development. She will be working with John Dattilo.
Lindsay Usher came in third in women's long boat at the 2009 World Surf Kayak Championships in Santa Cruz, Portugal. Check out the story at: ?p=225
Congratulations Faculty
Duarte Morais was nominated by Dean Nan Crouter to serve on the Global Community Engagement Task Force for the University Office of Global Programs.
Morais and graduate student Lindsay Usher recently published an article, titled "Women in tourism: Transnational lessons and unanswered questions," in Countours, the newsletter of the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism.
Departmental Happenings
Kim Batty ’88 RC PK ’96g LE ST (kbatty@lhup.edu), instructor in the Department of Recreation Management at Lock Haven University, spoke to graduate students in RPTM 597A (Scholarly Writing in Leisure Studies) about faculty responsibilities and priorities at academic institutions.
Dr. Keun Soo Park, associate professor in the Department of Tourism and Event Management at Pai Chai University in Daejeon, Korea, will join the department in August as a visiting scholar working with Deborah Kerstetter.
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. If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Buckley, coordinator of alumni relations (814-867-1756; tbuckley@psu.edu).
Do You Have News?
If you have accomplished something you would like to share with the RPTM crew, please notify mvs5@psu.edu. Also, if you are aware of accomplishments or quotes by our alumni, students, or staff, please let us know so we can share the news. Thank you!