Applied Research and Evaluation Methods in Recreation

Diane C. Blankenship, EdD

Diane C. Blankenship is a retired professor from Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland, where she taught courses in research methods in the recreation and park management program. She also served on the program’s graduate thesis and project committee.

Dr. Blankenship has extensive and varied experience, having worked as a Boy Scout executive, a recreation therapist, in residential camps, aquatic facilities, recreation centers, and outdoor recreation facilities, and for the Department of the Army in Germany.

Dr. Blankenship has used her skills in recreation and leisure research methods to assist local and state organizations in the evaluation of their programs and facilities and in strategic planning. She served as a fellow for the U.S. Department of State to conduct a study that evaluated onboarding programs across the federal government, using specific training models and assessment tools in the evaluation research. In addition, she served as a site visitor for the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and as a member of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) CPRP certification exam committee and policy committee.

Natalia B. Lowe, PhD

Natalia B. Lowe is a program coordinator and full professor in the department of kinesiology and recreation and parks management at Frostburg State University. Her research interests include outdoor recreation and community and ecological well-being, community engagement in natural resource planning and management, and marketing of ecotourism and nature-based tourism destinations. She has conducted research in Retezat National Park in Romania, El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, and state forests in western Maryland, as well as at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

Jeffrey R. Farr, PhD

Jeffrey R. Farr is an assistant professor in the department of human nutrition, hospitality, and sport management at the University of Alabama. He was previously an assistant professor of recreation, parks, and sport management at Frostburg State University. Dr. Farr’s research primarily focuses on youth sport, specifically on the relationships between youth sport participation and family functioning, as well as the intersectionality and inclusion of youth sport.