Tag: RST

Alessio Norrito joins RST as a postdoctoral researcher

April 30, 2026 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Norrito is preparing students to see sport not just as an industry, but as a powerful force for social good.

RST postdoc Alessio Norrito will primarily work with Professor Yuhei Inoue, while collaborating across the department.

The Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is pleased to welcome Alessio Norrito as a postdoctoral research associate. Norrito brings with him an international perspective, interdisciplinary expertise and a deep belief in the power of sport to improve lives and communities. He will primarily work with RST Professor Yuhei Inoue, while developing collaborations with other RST faculty members.

“Alessio is an excellent addition to the department, as his research can effectively bridge sport management, recreation and tourism, advancing our understanding of how these interrelated fields can work together to address some of the grand challenges facing today’s society,” Inoue said. “In addition, given his international background and experience, Alessio can share valuable global perspectives with RST faculty and students, strengthening an important dimension of our department.”

Norrito earned his Ph.D. in sport sociology and management from Loughborough University, one of the world’s leading institutions for sport research. Before joining Illinois, he served as a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. His academic path, however, is rooted in a broader professional journey that spans continents and industries. Prior to entering higher ed, Norrito worked in marketing and e-commerce within the food and beverage sector, with professional experiences in Shanghai, China and Turin, Italy. Those early roles, he notes, shaped his understanding of organizations, markets and people—insights that continue to inform his research and teaching today.

Norrito has contributed to international research projects supported by organizations such as the International Olympic Committee, UNESCO and UEFA. His work has been recognized by the European Association for the Sociology of Sport, which awarded him the Young Researcher Award for his contributions to the field. Across these projects, his research consistently examines how sport and leisure can enhance well-being and strengthen communities, with particular attention to how organizations pursue social purpose at the intersection of global contexts and local realities.

That interdisciplinary focus made the U. of I. a natural next step.

“I think the University of Illinois has a unique take on the way that sport management should be, which strongly aligns with my ideas,” Norrito said. “I position my work in between sociology and management, firmly believing that the two disciplines should be in constant dialogue for solving pressing global issues, creatively and innovatively finding alternatives that benefit people globally.” He added that he found “matching values in the RST department,” allowing him to contribute meaningfully through sport management while being “strongly supported in the development and realization of this work.”

At the heart of Norrito’s research is a simple idea: sport helps people connect. “At its simplest, sport helps us talk to each other and know each other better,” he said. “These interactions make us feel emotions that either unite or divide us.” His work emphasizes that when organizations learn to harness the positive side of sport, it can generate feelings of being “loved, hopeful and ambitious.” What is often overlooked, he notes, is how everyday experiences—like playing or watching sports—can help individuals and communities imagine a shared future. “Sometimes the simple pleasures of life, like sport, can give us a direction of where we want to go in the future, either [individually] or collectively,” he said. “According to my research, this pursuit can generate diverse forms of happiness.”

Norrito’s international research collaborations have also reshaped his understanding of how global sport organizations operate. “I was surprised the most [by] just how valuable research is for global sport organizations,” he said. “My belief prior to these experiences was that research was something ‘for academics.’”

For students interested in working in sport at a global level, Norrito’s advice is clear: engage deeply with organizations’ strategic plans and think proactively about how to fit within them. “Your time in [U. of I.] is key to developing your future self, and taking the right courses can be key to becoming the person that you need to be to land that dream job,” he said.

This semester, Norrito is teaching RST 210: Management in RST, where he introduces students to management and leadership across recreation, sport and tourism contexts. His approach to leadership resists simple formulas.

“I strongly do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach,” he said. “Instead I encourage RST students to engage in reflexivity. Reflecting on yourself is a key practice to understand what skills you need to develop to be the leader you want to be in the future.”

That philosophy is closely tied to how he brings his research into the classroom.

“My research leads me to believe that behind every social problem there is always an opportunity to solve it,” Norrito said. “And when this social problem is solved, it benefits those who have solved it, those who were affected by it and society as a whole.” He regularly draws on examples from his own work to show students how social impact, business      and management are deeply connected—and how future professionals can align purpose with practice.

Norrito’s passion for sport as a subject of serious academic inquiry has personal roots. He recalled a formative moment from his high school years in Palermo, Italy.

“When I was in high school, in my hometown of Palermo, the science surrounding sport was not very popular,” he said. After submitting an assignment about soccer, he was told by a teacher that sport did not belong in the classroom—and he failed the assignment.

“The fact that my job now involves talking about sport inside a classroom is quite ironic,” he said, “but also tells the lesson that we should protect our beliefs and challenge assumptions that seem wrong to us.”

Now at Illinois, Norrito is doing exactly that—challenging assumptions, connecting disciplines and preparing the next generation of RST leaders to see sport not just as an industry, but as a powerful force for social good.

Editor’s note:

To reach Alessio Norrito, email anorrito@illinois.edu.
 

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In RST event management course, preparation is the main event

May 15, 2026 | Ethan Simmons

In this capstone course, recreation, sport and tourism undergrads plan events from start to finish. The class has created several community highlights

Visitors to this year’s “Yappy Hour” event brought their pups to Riggs Beer Co. for drinks and fun. Recreation, Sport and Tourism students organized this event and several others this spring. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

Tournaments for pickleball, spike ball and wheelchair basketball, a “yappy” hour at a local brewery with dogs invited, a fairy tale ball at a local library: Each spring, students in Recreation, Sport and Tourism help organize some of the semester’s most memorable events on and off campus.

And it all comes back to one class: Event Implementation in RST, which is required coursework for undergraduates in the RST major, and Sarah Agate’s “favorite class to teach.”

“In recreation, sport and tourism, regardless of what your job is, you’ll probably be involved in helping plan and facilitate events,” said Agate, teaching associate professor in the Department of RST in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “I get emails from students even a few months later who have graduated and are working in their grown-up job, saying, ‘I hadn’t planned on doing events, but now that’s part of my job, and I feel so prepared and ready because of what we did.’”

Technically, Agate teaches two events courses—RST 460: Event Management in Recreation, Sport and Tourism and RST 465: Event Implementation in RST take place across the fall and spring semesters. The two-course sequence was an appealing feature for Agate before she was hired at the University of Illinois; it offered a more rewarding experience than the one-semester event classes she had taught at previous stops.

In fall, students group together, decide the event they want to support, then spend the next few months partnering with local agencies, finding sponsors and sharpening their event plans, including emergency and risk management.

Spring is all about promotion, execution and evaluation. This year, RST students in her class helped put on 11 events, starting with the Illinois Wheelchair Basketball Tournament on Feb. 13–14 and ending with a kids’ football camp on April 26.

After facilitating the events, the final project is the evaluation report. Students gather survey data from attendees and compile suggestions for their partnering agency of what went well and how the event could run even better next time.

Sarah Agate, teaching associate professor in RST.

The event planning process can feel “overwhelming” to undergraduates who are partnering to host big local events with lots of moving pieces. Agate planned a phase of her course to answer the question: how can we be ready if something goes wrong?

This year, Agate expanded the risk management section. She took students to a local crisis management training, including first aid demonstration and an active threat training with campus police officers.

Students are assigned a “venue risk assessment” for each event, where they check for first aid kits and defibrillator locations, whether exits were clearly marked and determine sheltering plans spots if severe weather were to come around.

“The saying that I have heard numerous times is something along the lines of, ‘Hopefully we don’t have any problems, but in the case that we do, we will be prepared for them,’” said RST senior Drew Erickson, who organized a “Yappy Hour” at the Riggs Beer Co. with seven of his classmates.

The group planned a rain date just in case of April showers. Of course, the event went smoothly on a sunny Urbana spring day, bringing together townies, their pups and local vendors over brews.

RST students Nina Bollman, Tariq Cotton, Kaden Feagin, Brandon Henderson, James Kruetz, TJ McMillen, Mac Resetich and Xavier Scott, hosted the ICON for Illini Kids Football Camp held April 26, 2026, at the Irwin Indoor Practice Facility. (Photo provided)

Many of the events have become community mainstays, like the annual Fairy Tale Ball at the Urbana Free Library, or the Illini Get Pickled pickleball tournament, now three years running.

RST junior Michael Evans has helped run the tournament since its inception, an event in Huff Gym first created by RST students Carson Bounds and Gavin Christopherson. The past two years, it raised more than $11,000 for Cunningham Children’s Home, a child welfare agency based in Urbana.

This year’s event had a recreational bracket with lots of student and faculty sign-ups and a second tourney with a new spin: a Greek house bracket for fraternity and sorority members to duke it out on the pickleball courts. This year, more than 50 teams signed on.

Though Evans had experienced behind-the-scenes event organizing through his work at Illinois Athletics, Agate’s courses gave Evans the “why” behind every step of the process.

“Compared to an Illini football game, our event is a blip on a map,” Evans said. “To see how much it takes for just this small pickleball tournament and the number of people from so many different places who have their hands in it—whether it be, ‘Oh hey, I know this person,’ or the people we talked to rent Huff Gym out, the sponsors … there’s a ton of people who just want to see this go well, and they want to support Cunningham.”

The events courses are designed as a capstone experience for students in the recreation, sport and tourism program, and Agate gets an extended front-row seat, as a rare instructor to see the same students for two semesters.

“I feel like I really get to know them,” Agate said. “It’s fun to see their skills develop over those eight months we have together, where they’re nervous at the beginning, then they get into the process with their professional. By spring, they’re event facilitators … it’s fun to watch their confidence grow.”

Editor’s note:

To contact Sarah Agate, email stagate@illinois.edu

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Ballot battles: The fight for green space funding in an age of misinformation

May 21, 2025 | Adelyn Mui

Green spaces benefit people and the environment in many ways but not all voters see it that way

Sharon Zou says funding public green spaces are a challenge (Photo provided)

Public green spaces—parks, forests and conservation areas—increase potential for varied recreational opportunities, improved mental and physical health and better environmental sustainability. However, funding these spaces remains a challenge.

Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism faculty members Sharon Zou and Nick Pitas are studying how communities value and pay for green spaces. Their research, initially focused on a case study of greenspace ballot initiatives (GBI) in Champaign and Cook counties, has expanded to examine voter behavior, funding mechanisms and the role misinformation and disinformation can play in these initiatives. 

Zou said green spaces benefit people and the environment in many ways.

“The role of nature in human health—not just physical but also mental health,—has proved to be very important,” Zou said. “Public green space is also a place where the community gets together, so it’s also about social cohesion and community well-being. If we go more broadly, green space is important for conservation in general, to make sure nature is being protected.”

The catch: Public parks and recreational areas can be expensive for taxpayers, requiring routine maintenance, infrastructure improvements and expansion efforts. While some funding comes from government budgets, many communities turn to ballot initiatives—voter-approved measures that allocate more funds for conservation and park services.

However, not all voters see funding these spaces as worthwhile. Pitas said there’s a variety of reasons why voters might be against it.

“They could be opposed because they don’t think that the agency that receives the money is going to be doing a good job,” Pitas said. “They could be opposed because they don’t see the value in paying into common resources that benefit everybody but don’t benefit them as an individual. They may be ideologically opposed to the idea of paying taxes in general.”

Campaigns against green space initiatives often benefit groups with financial or political objectives. Real estate developers, for example, may oppose conservation efforts limiting new construction opportunities. Political organizations pushing for lower taxes may frame GBI as promoting excessive government spending, even when the long-term benefits outweigh the costs. 

“One of the unfortunate things about elections in the last, you know, couple decades is that false information has become a much more important factor in determining the outcome of those elections,” Pitas said. “Everybody has a global microphone in the form of a social media account now.” 

Organized groups can use disinformation—the deliberate spreading of false information—against voters, or frame information in a way that opposes GBI. For example, a group might make a claim that property taxes will increase more than they actually will, or that a park district owns more land than it actually does. Pitas and Zou are designing an experiment to test the impact of false information on people’s voter behavior.

“We have two types of inoculation,” Zou said. “One is more general—it’ll say, ‘Hey, be aware that there will be groups that are opposing these referendum initiatives, and they might spread disinformation.’ We also want to compare that with a more detailed inoculation and lay the facts about the referendum, about the public land status, and about how the natural resources management agencies are managing the land.”

By exposing voters to potential disinformation before it reaches them and consequentially debunking the falsehoods, Pitas and Zou hope their research provides them with the accurate information to make informed decisions. 

One of the unfortunate things about elections in the last, you know, couple decades is that false information has become a much more important factor in determining the outcome of those elections.

Nick Pitas

RST Assistant Professor

“I always love translating my research into helpful and meaningful practices and creating an impact in the community,” Zou said. 

Pitas and Zou also hope that their research can combat misinformation—the unintentional spread of false information. Pitas cited a recent successful example of this: a proposal for increased property taxes to fund maintenance and improvements on preservation properties. 

In 2020, the Champaign County Forest Preserve District successfully increased property taxes to fund maintenance and improvements for existing properties. This was a turnaround from 2008 when a similar tax proposal failed, partly due to opposition from the Champaign County Farm Bureau. 

Pitas said that in 2008, the Farm Bureau was concerned that the new funding would be used to purchase agricultural land for conservation, reducing farmland availability. But in 2020, the Forest Preserve District proactively engaged with the Farm Bureau and assured them that no agricultural land would be acquired or converted. 

With this clarification, the Farm Bureau vocally and publicly supported the 2020 measure due to proactive outreach on the part of campaign volunteers, which was pivotal to the success of that ballot initiative. Campaign volunteers also solicited support from a variety of community organizations, such as Rotary clubs throughout Champaign County.

Pitas and Zou are looking to connect with any agencies who have experience with or are interested in GBI. The overarching goal is to better understand other case studies, the issues related to voter behavior, mis/disinformation and how these individual pieces fit together as a larger picture.

At the end of the day, green space benefits everybody, Pitas said.

“For you, and for me and for your people that live in the community; it benefits plants and animals that depend on that space, it protects groundwater, it protects the quality of the air that we breathe and it protects places that are rare and might not exist anywhere else,” Pitas said. “There are benefits for everybody.”

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2025 RST department head message

May 21, 2025

RST Department Head Carla Santos at the department’s 2025 awards ceremony (Photo by Bradley Leeb)

Hello RST Friends and Alumni,

Welcome to the spring 2025 edition of the RST newsletter! We are excited to share some of the latest research breakthroughs from our faculty, outstanding student achievements and the ongoing contributions of our incredible alumni.

This year, we are especially proud to showcase how our students and faculty are leading the way in shaping the future of recreation, sport and tourism. From groundbreaking research to impactful community engagement, RST is at the forefront of addressing critical issues and advancing knowledge in our field.

In this issue, you’ll find stories on how racial segregation and park availability impacts physical activity, how misinformation can alter voters’ minds on green spaces, and the growing global impact of RST initiatives. As we reflect on the past year, I’m deeply thankful for the leadership and support from both our faculty and alumni. Together, we’re bridging the gap between academia and industry to drive meaningful change in communities near and far.

Thank you for being a vital part of our journey. Here’s to a brighter, healthier and more inclusive future!


Warm regards,
Carla Santos
Department Head

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The role of racial segregation and park availability in physical activity

May 22, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

RST researchers set out to explore how racial residential segregation impacts leisure-time physical activity prevalence and how park availability influences this relationship

Mariela Fernandez and Miki Sato uncovered complex dynamics that challenge the assumption that having more parks automatically leads to increased physical activity (Stock image)

In cities across the United States, physical activity is often promoted as a cornerstone of public health, yet disparities in access and engagement persist. Despite the well-documented benefits of leisure-time physical activity, many communities remain physically inactive. This issue is particularly pronounced in racially segregated areas, where systemic inequalities shape health outcomes. 

A recent study by RST faculty members Mariela Fernandez and Miki Sato set out to explore how racial residential segregation impacts leisure-time physical activity—or LTPA—prevalence and how park availability influences this relationship. By focusing on Chicago—a city marked by stark racial divides—researchers uncovered complex dynamics that challenge the assumption that having more parks automatically leads to increased physical activity in all communities.

Fernandez said although Chicago has many parks, many older, larger ones were built downtown in a time where space wasn’t as constrained as it is today. These older, larger parks are located in neighborhoods near middle-income white populations and also serve tourists.

“(The Chicago) Park District didn’t meet the demand. In some cases, African Americans and Latinos did have access to park spaces, but they didn’t have the recreational amenities that were most appropriate for them,” said Fernandez. “Some (racial) groups might have more small children, but those parks might not have playgrounds, so those (parks) weren’t as relevant.”

The study aimed to answer some fundamental questions: 

  • Is racial residential segregation associated with LTPA prevalence?
  • How is the availability of public parks associated with LTPA prevalence?
  • Does it affect the relationship between racial residential segregation and LTPA prevalence?

Fernandez and Sato sought to determine whether increasing park availability could serve as an effective strategy for encouraging physical activity in segregated communities.

The Role of Racial Segregation in Physical Activity

The findings of the study revealed that racial residential segregation is indeed associated with lower levels of LTPA. Specifically, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino isolation correlated negatively with LTPA prevalence. This suggests that communities with higher concentrations of these racial groups—often shaped by historical and systemic segregation policies—experience lower levels of leisure-time physical activity.

The reasons behind this trend are multifaceted, Fernandez said. Segregated neighborhoods frequently face socioeconomic disadvantages, including higher poverty rates, reduced access to recreational facilities and increased safety concerns. Additionally, cultural and structural barriers—such as limited time for exercise due to work and family responsibilities—further contribute to disparities in physical activity levels.

(The Chicago) Park District didn’t meet the demand. In some cases, African Americans and Latinos did have access to park spaces, but they didn’t have the recreational amenities that were most appropriate for them.”

Mariela Fernandez

Associate Professor, RST

But sometimes the green space doesn’t include amenities that some groups want or focus on amenities that park officials believe residents want.

Of people she surveyed, Fernandez said they did want soccer fields, but they also wanted playgrounds and restrooms. 

“When the city was working with the community, they couldn’t really get away from ‘Oh, you want soccer fields.’ There’s still a lot of stereotypes, I feel, that need to be undone.”

The Influence of Park Availability

The study also examined how park availability interacts with these racial disparities in physical activity. Unsurprisingly, greater access to public parks was generally associated with higher LTPA prevalence. Parks offer crucial spaces for exercise, community engagement and outdoor recreation, making them valuable assets for promoting public health. However, the study’s findings challenge the notion that simply increasing the number of parks in segregated communities is a one-size-fits-all solution.

“When some of these places were created, the highways went into neighborhoods of color or they went around them,” Fernandez said. “If you live between the highways, you’re not going to go outside and do physical activity because it’s unsafe to cross streets. And you also have the issue of pollution. Air pollution, sound pollution.”

Another finding from the study is the negative influence effect of park availability on the relationship between Hispanic isolation and LTPA prevalence. The findings indicate that while increasing park availability can enhance LTPA prevalence in communities, the benefits are diminished in areas with high levels of Hispanic or Latino isolation.

Implications for Public Health Policy

Fernandez and Sato’s findings hold significant implications for policymakers and urban planners seeking to promote physical activity in racially segregated communities.

Beyond Infrastructure: While increasing park availability is a positive step, it is not a standalone solution. Investments must also address safety concerns, programming and community engagement to ensure that parks are truly accessible and welcoming spaces.

Culturally Relevant Programs: To effectively encourage LTPA, public health initiatives should incorporate culturally relevant exercise programs that resonate with the target communities. 

Addressing Structural Inequities: Efforts to reduce racial residential segregation and the socioeconomic disparities that accompany it should be a long-term priority. Economic investment in historically marginalized neighborhoods can help create environments where physical activity is more feasible and appealing.

Community Involvement: Residents must have a voice in the development and implementation of public health initiatives. By incorporating local perspectives, planners can better understand and address the specific barriers to physical activity that different communities face.

“Miki and I will definitely have to do some outreach to folks in urban planning, public health officials and park officials,” Fernandez said.

The overall goal, Fernandez and Sato say, is improving physical health and health outcomes, but simply building more parks will not be enough to close the gap, the researchers say. 

“Just because the space is there doesn’t necessarily mean everybody can utilize it,” Fernandez said. 

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Payne has big plans for revitalized ORPR

Jan. 15, 2024 | Bruce Adams

ORPR is designed to be an asset to faculty and the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism

Of ORPR, Laura Payne says, ‘We want to be known as a leader in conducting applied research and outreach across recreation, sport and tourism.’ (Photo provided)

In November 2021, while Laura Payne was the interim director of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources, a group of stakeholders held a retreat to focus on the core missions of ORPR.

“We generated a lot of rich discussion and accomplished a lot in a short amount of time,” Payne said. “One of the key points to emerge from the planning meeting was that ORPR can and should play a key role in addressing emerging challenges related to community health and well-being by generating creative and innovative solutions.”

Fast-forward to 2023, and Payne—now the Joseph J. Bannon director of ORPR—said, “We want to be known as a leader in conducting applied research and outreach across recreation, sport and tourism.”

ORPR, which is affiliated with the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism within the College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois, is designed to be an asset to faculty and RST, Payne said.

“We see ourselves as an applied research and outreach unit that serves the entire department,” she said. “Where it makes sense, we’d like to be a resource for faculty. We can assist with grant applications, community engagement and outreach efforts. Since we have a formal connection with Illinois Extension, we can assist with building collaborations between Extension and RST.”

Payne is a professor in RST and an Extension specialist who has directed statewide outreach and research programs. Her research has examined the relationship between leisure style and the health of older adults with chronic conditions and the role of local parks and recreation agencies in health promotion and health behavior change.

Sport and tourism initiatives can play important roles in enhancing human health and improving environmental sustainability evolving media landscape, the spread of misinformation and disinformation regarding scientific topics such as natural disasters, vaccines and climate change can pose a risk to public health.

Laura Payne

Drector of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources

Joelle Soulard, assistant professor in RST, called Payne “a respected colleague. Her dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our field. As the leader of ORPR, Laura is committed to enhancing health and well-being through research, education and outreach programs. Her vision aligns perfectly with the university’s land grant mission.”’

Payne is focused on channeling the expertise and knowledge of RST faculty and students to impact people’s lives positively and address many of society’s health and wellness challenges.

“It is our goal to become the place RST organizations and professionals seek out for evidence-based information and research-based resources that are useful for organizations,” she said.

Payne said the core principles and mission of ORPR have not changed, but she wants to build on what was done before she was appointed to the top role.

“I view this stage of ORPR’s continued development as fine-tuning,” she said.

To that end, ORPR has refreshed its mission statement, which is to collaborate on recreation, sport and tourism initiatives to build healthy communities. The values that guide their mission include utilizing scientifically sound applied research and best practices, being responsive to community and industry needs, issues and trends and providing undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on educational experience via projects.

Soulard said Payne’s “innovative approach has been instrumental in advancing statewide outreach and research initiatives that directly benefit communities across Illinois. Her work is driving the next wave of innovation in our field, making a meaningful impact on the quality and sustainability of recreation, parks and wellness programs and services.”

RST Assistant Professor Sharon Zou said that Payne “speaks multiple languages with community leaders, RST professionals, Extension colleagues, academic faculty and students. She involves undergraduate and graduate students in ORPR projects, which have been great learning experiences for our students.”

Most importantly, Payne said, wants people to understand  how parks and recreational activities enhance lives.

“Sport and tourism initiatives can play important roles in enhancing human health and improving environmental sustainability,” she said. “Parks and recreation agencies offer places for people to be physically active, reduce stress, engage in social activities and strengthen community ties through festivals and events.”

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Pritzker connects tourism, recreation to state’s economic boom

May 03, 2024 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

If there is one thing Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker knows about, it’s hospitality.

A member of the family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, Pritzker on Jan. 25 gave the opening remarks for the Sapora Symposium—organized by the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign—and implored students to “stay in Illinois.”

“My advice is stay in the state of Illinois because a lot is happening here that is going to be good for your careers,” said the 59-year-old Pritzker. “It’s not just the governor trying to convince you to do something that you don’t want to do. It’s the governor telling you that I have seen a real change in the way this state thinks of itself and the opportunity that exists, particularly in travel and tourism and recreation.”

Pritzker was the invited speaker at the recent kickoff to the Sapora Symposium, a semester-long class that features alumni and other professionals who share insight on current issues in recreation, sport and tourism. This year’s theme, according to instructor Michael Raycraft, a teaching associate professor, is the “important roles for recreation, sport, and tourism agencies in the revival of the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of Chicagoland in the post-pandemic era.”

Among the topics that came up during the discussion with Pritzker—moderated by Raycraft and RST alumni and adjunct faculty member Carmen Rossi—were contemporary issues in parks, tourism and sport and their importance to Illinois’ future. 

“Not just because I come from a family that’s been involved in tourism and the hospitality industry, but from a state perspective, it is one of the easiest ways to boost revenues,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker—who is in his second term as governor—touted his administration’s recent success in the tourism sphere, primarily securing the Democratic National Convention, slated for Aug. 19-22 at the United Center. 

“It is my job to get major conventions to come to the state,” he said. “In politics, it’s like the Super Bowl every four years. It brings 50,000 people, and they’re going to spend weeks on end beforehand, setting up and bringing people in. The delegations are going to fill all the hotels here.

“We won it for a couple of reasons. There are politics involved. But  … what mattered most was when (the DNC committee) came here, they were blown away. Because our hotels are in close proximity to one another. Hotels are close to all the places that the convention will take place. And everybody knows summer in Chicago is one of the best things in the world.”

Pritzker ended his remarks by saying the state’s “tourism economy is booming coming out of Covid.”

“My advice to you all is, stay in Illinois because we’re headed in the right direction if you want to be in this economy, in this tourism and recreation world.”

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Outdoor Recreation Consortium: An RST trip to the Smokies—for class credit

May 01, 2024 | Ethan Simmons

Kiara Frausto thinks she might’ve been “kind of spoiled” in her first visit to a national park. 

That’s because the University of Illinois junior was treated to a week full of hands-dirty field research at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute—where students banded birds, caught salamanders and listened to Appalachian folk stories—and it all counted for course credit. 

“It’s probably going to be hard to beat this one,” Frausto said. “Now I want to see all the other national parks.” 

Buses full of students from seven universities rolled into the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in Tennessee just after spring break, ready for a week of experiential learning in the country’s most visited national park. 

For the first time in more than a decade, University of Illinois students got to join the group, known as the Outdoor Recreation Consortium. The roster of involved universities has shifted over the years; Illinois dropped out years ago without a faculty member to run the trip. 

But now, with second-year Recreation, Sport and Tourism Assistant Professor Nick Pitas at the helm, Illinois has returned to the fold. 

This year, nine students took the eight-week RST 199 course: Outdoor Recreation Consortium, which culminated in a six-day stayaway visit to the Smokies. 

Students and faculty from six other schools took part this year, including Penn State University, North Carolina State, East Carolina, University of Missouri, Texas A&M and Western Illinois.

Pitas is well-traveled alumnus of the course, which has been around in some form for 46 years. He enrolled and visited the Smokies while he was a student at Penn State, then rejoined the trip as a teaching assistant—twice—before eventually teaching it as a faculty member. 

“This was my fifth time going,” Pitas said. “But first time as a faculty here at Illinois.” 

What kept him returning to the trip were the rich, hands-on experiences that embodied all the concepts the course had prepared them for. Once in the Smokies, students hear from real National Park Service rangers and administrators, natural resource scientists and community partners, all while assisting them with field research data collection. 

At Illinois, RST 199’s eight week were spent introducing students to the operations of a national park, through its history and cultural context, the wide biodiversity in the region, and the management of the park’s record visitor numbers. Students also broke off into “committees” to help organize the trip, from transportation logistics all the way to morale-boosting exercises. 

“From a professional standpoint, I think it opens their eyes, hopefully, to the breadth of opportunities that are available in the outdoor recreation, natural resource, and tourism space,” Pitas said. “But the bulk of the learning is when we’re there. It’s like going to summer camp except with an extra learning component baked into it.” 

Michela Ossola, a senior in natural resources and environmental sciences at ACES, helped map the ideal driving route to the Tremont Institute in Blount County, Tennessee. Once there, daily trips to the forest and engaging learning sessions kept the time flying by.

“It’s a week detox of being off your phone, and every evening we’d have people come by, folk storytellers, folk music, a bear caller. A lot of those things you don’t get for free these days,” Ossola said. “It’s definitely a highlight in the four years I’ve gone to U of I.” 

Many of the students this year, like Ossola and Frausto, came from the College of ACES. Undergrad students in the college are required to complete a field experience before they graduate. 

But Pitas would like to grow the number of Applied Health Sciences students who come through the class, like Genna Peters, a junior in RST who’s interested in pursuing an outdoor recreation career post-graduation. 

Peters loved getting to know the professionals from the Appalachia area, like a park ranger who was enrolled in the Western Cherokee tribe and mingling with students from all the other universities. 

“The biggest experience for me being around all these other people my age who shared in the same interest and wanted to go into the same field as me,” she said. “It was really cool to know this park has this giant history of all these different people who work there, but they also really truly treasure the culture and history of the park itself.” 

As much as the field knowledge broadens horizons for the students who go, Pitas knows the relationships they build are just as important. 

“It’s not always the case that an adult has a chance to have a camp experience and just go and be with people they know and people they don’t know, and have that of connection and experience together,” Pitas said. 

“I feel very lucky to have the chance to do it, would be my overarching feeling this semester. This is awesome. Can’t believe I get to do this for work.” 

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College of Applied Health Sciences
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