RPTM Kudos and Announcements August 25, 2007
Congratulations Alumni
Larissa Witmer ’06 (lwitmer@hotmail.com) has moved to Raleigh, NC, to pursue a master's degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University. She is currently working as a research assistant on a project studying physical activity levels at summer camps. Her primary area of interest for graduate study is recreation and health promotion.
Dianne DeFusco ’88 (diannedefusco@yahoo.com), currently the acting Chief Administrative Officer at Palm View Rehabilitation and Care Center in Yuma, AZ, will be transitioning to a permanent position as Vice President of Operations with full responsibility for all Kissito Healthcare facilities nationwide.
Congratulations Students
RPTM major Anthony Morelli has been elected by his teammates as one of three captains of the 2007 Penn State football team. Anthony, the team’s quarterback, is headed into his senior season, which will be his second as a starter.
RPTM majors William Ben Duncan, Charles Gruber, Penny Horner, Robert Pearsall, Mira Deen Shiffrin and Brad Snyder were among 23 Penn State students who spent the summer in Australia as part of an American Universities International Programs study abroad opportunity. After a week at James Cook University in Queensland, the students completed field excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, the Australian Rainforests, and the Outback to learn about ecotourism and farming, Aboriginal culture and history, and the wildlife and flora of Australia. Meanwhile, three students took part in RPTM’s Council on International Educational Exchange summer abroad program on Palma de Mallorca, Spain, where they enjoyed meeting Spanish students, participating in field study visits, and sightseeing throughout the island.
Congratulations Faculty
Dr. Robert Lee, Jr., Emeritus Professor of SHM & Public Administration, and his wife, Ann, are leaving August 27 for China to teach English for one year. They will be stationed in Beijing during the fall and Yantai, a coastal city, in the spring. To prepare for their trip, the Lees earned a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults developed by Cambridge University.
“The Role of Park Proximity and Social Support in Shaping Park Visitation, Physical Activity, and Perceived Health Among Older Adults,” by Andrew Mowen, Elizabeth Orsega-Smith, Laura Payne, Barbara Ainsworth, and Geoffrey Godbey was recently published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health, Vol. 4(2).
In the News
RPTM student and Penn State Nittany Lions’ junior wideout Derrick Williams was featured in a Daily Collegian cover story on August 14. Williams discussed his training and dietary habits as well as his goal to help bring Penn State to the national championship. Read the whole story at www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2007/08/14/williams_every_detail_importan.aspx.
Departmental Happenings
Douglas Turco, Ph.D., professor and director of the Sport Management Program at DeSales University, visited the Department on August 15. Dr. Turco spent the day meeting with faculty and students and discussing his work in sport tourism research.
Dr. Heung Sik Park, a visiting scholar from Korea, completed his year as an exchange professor at Penn State. While here, Dr. Park collected data pertaining to cultural understanding of manners and American perceptions of Korea as a tourist destination.
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