RPTM Kudos and Announcements 3-16-05
Congratulations Alums
After completing an internship at the Marriott Waterfront in Annapolis, Maryland, Julie Tanner (’04), tannerj@ocallaghanhotels-us.com, was hired as a sales manager at the O’Callaghan Hotel, in Annapolis.
Dr. Jae-Myung Shim (’04g) was appointed assistant professor at Dong-Guk University in Kyung-Joo, South Korea.
Greg Werner (’04), gmwerner1@hotmail.com, visited the Marketing of Recreation Services (RPTM 410) course on February 11 to speak about networking and internship opportunities with military recreation agencies, specifically the U.S. Navy’s Moral Welfare and Recreation Programs. He has accepted a position as the civilian aboard director of recreation programs in a Navy carrier group stationed in the Pacific and Southeast Asia and will move to Japan in April.
Congratulations Students
Doctoral student Lynette He Yang presented “Traditional Values or Western Ones? Perceptions of Emerging Adults in China,” at the Second Conference on Emerging Adulthood, which took place on February 18 and 19 in Miami.
Congratulations Faculty
The National Recreation and Park Association awarded Andy Mowen $1,000 in support of a resource paper.
Patty Kleban has recently been named a community columnist by the Centre Daily Times in State College. Her first column, which featured her thoughts on balancing work and family, appeared in the paper’s March 10 edition.
Careen Yarnal has been appointed advisor to the new student chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association, a nonprofit international association of professionals in the meetings industry whose mission is to promote the value of professional convention management.
Monty Christiansen, professor emeritus, was the lead presenter and one of four invited speakers (representing the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and China), at the international seminar “Issues and Concerns about Playspace Development-Design, Safety & Management” in Hong Kong on March 2, 2005. This seminar was preceded by the Fifth Annual Euro-American Playground Safety Institute, also held in Hong Kong, for which Monty has been co-instructor since its inaugural program in 2001.
John Dattilo received the 2005 SPRE Innovation in Teaching Award in recognition for his dedication to ground-breaking teaching in the field of therapeutic recreation.
Departmental Happenings
Frank McGuire fmaguire_99@yahoo.com, co-owner of Mount Nittany Wheelworks of State College, visited the Senior Management Seminar (RPTM 480) class taught by Harry Zinn on February 21. Frank has served for several years on the Recreation Advisory Committee of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and spoke of issues of trail construction, trail access and responsible trail riding.
Brijish Thapa (’00g), bthapa@hhp.ufl.edu, senior associate director of the Center for Tourism and Development and assistant professor at the University of Florida, visited Penn State on February 18 to collaborate with Alan Graefe on research projects.
In the News
Bob Stevenson (’01), b.stevenson@sharkstoothgolfclub.com, was featured in the article, “Valley Man Top Pro at Florida Golf Club,” in the February 26 edition of the Valley Independent and also on PittsburghLIVE.com. After being hired by professional golf legend Greg Norman and working as assistant golf professional for several months at the Shark’s Tooth Golf Club in Lake Powell, Florida, Bob was named PGA head professional on July 1, 2004.
The article, “Wrestler Eric Bradley is named CSTV Student-Athlete of the Week,” which appears on http://www.gopsusports.com/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?anncid=7509, was released to the press on February 14, 2005. Bradley’s honor was announced within College Sports TV’s “The 1 College Sports Show” and was featured on www.CollegeSports.com.
*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