Content

Faculty

Perver Baran , PhD
Built Environment, Safety, and Physical Activity

Dr. Baran's research interests include understanding how objective and subjective evaluations of neighborhood characteristics relate to physical activity and park use. In particular, she is interested in how objective measures of urban form and community crime and neighborhood and safety perceptions contribute to daily physical activity and park use. She is also interested in utilization of geographic information science (GIS) in understanding these relationships.

Jason Bocarro, PhD
Youth Development, Youth Sport, and Physical Activity

Dr. Bocarro's research focuses on childhood and adolescent obesity and inactivity and specifically on how sport and recreation can contribute to alleviating this public health problem. Most of his current research efforts have been targeted around the issue of how parks, recreation and youth sport programs can increase the physical activity levels of children and adolescents. His current physical activity research is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Kimberly Bush, PhD
Physical Activity Promotion for Youth

Dr. Bush's research seeks to understand how we can better promote physical activity to ALL youth. Specifically she is interested in offering effective, free physical activity programs to less advantaged youth and teens.

Jonathan Casper, PhD
Promoting Physical Activity through Sport and
Social Marketing

Dr. Casper's research seeks to understand how psychological and social drivers affect sport participation and spectatorship. He is particularly focused on how motivations, commitment, and social influence relate to physical activity/sports and how this information can be used for effective marketing. His current physical activity research is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Myron F. Floyd, PhD
Physical Activity in Parks in Low Income and Minority
Communities; Environmental Justice

Dr. Floyd's research seeks to understand how public parks and other built environment features contribute to physical activity and obesity prevention. He is particularly focused on racial/ethnic disparities in physical activity and disparities in access to parks and other recreation amenities. His current physical activity research is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the US National Park Service.

Michelle Gacio Harrolle, PhD
Promoting Physical Activity through Recreation, Sport, and
Social Marketing

Dr. Harrolle’s research focuses on examining the cultural influences affecting sport and recreation participation of ethnic minorities. Specifically, her current research area focuses on Latino park usage and physical activity. She is particularly focused on understanding how motivations, barriers to participate, and awareness/communication relate to physical activity/sports and how this information can be used for effective marketing.

Karla Henderson, PhD
Gender Diversity; Physical Activity in Camp Settings

Dr. Henderson's research focuses on examining the meanings and structures for 'physical activity by choice' among populations groups such as women, older adults, and youth. She has used a variety of methods in conducting the research but prefers to use qualitative approaches. She is a member of the National Advisory Committee for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research. website>

Michael A. Kanters, PhD
Coaching Efficacy; Youth Sports; Policy and Legislation related to Physical Activity

Dr. Kanters research seeks to understand the roll that sports play in the lives of children and adolescents. He is particularly interested in the impact of parental involvement and the association of sports participation with physical activity. His current sport and physical activity research is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Luis J. Suau, Ph.D.
IPARC Research Associate &
Assistant Professor of Recreation
Shaw University

Dr. Suau's research interest lies in the area of recreation and park management. Specifically, he is interested in community issues like disorganization, social cohesion, crime, safety and fear of crime, park evaluation (inventory) and their effect on the opportunity of park participation for physical activity in children and adults of different ethnic backgrounds. He also focuses on the use of GIS and spatial analysis to understand these relationships.