School of Sport Recreation and Tourism Management

George Mason’s recreation program is helping bring parks to the people

Sarah Holland — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:12:27 +0000

George Mason’s recreation program is helping bring parks to the people Sarah Holland Wed, 01/08/2025 - 13:12

One of the special things about Northern Virginia is its blend of thriving city life with vast green spaces. Visitors and residents can enjoy more than 12,000 acres of parks and recreation areas across three counties and three cities thanks to the work of NOVA Parks. This fall, a brand-new park opened in Ashburn, Virginia, with a few familiar faces from ��AV at its helm.

Photo provided.

Reservoir Park is a 600-acre park around Beaverdam Reservoir. Built and operated as a partnership between NOVA Parks and Loudoun Water, the park has conservation and education at the forefront of its design. From plants that filter water runoff into the reservoir, to butterfly roofs that drain water down a singular center path onto rocks to avoid excessive soil erosion, to sustainable build materials, the park preserves the landscape while educating visitors on the lifecycle of a drop of water. Educational installations along the trail also give visitors tactile lessons: a hand pump that demonstrates the amount of force required to bring water from the reservoir to a faucet, for example.

“Most parks are built up over time, with facilities developing as community needs change,” said Paul Gilbert, executive director of NOVA Parks and the executive-in-residence of the recreation management program at George Mason. “I've never seen a park like this one, where everything is designed intentionally with a clear purpose and story in mind. It’s both beautiful and thoughtful.”

The benefits of parks are immense: increased property values, opportunities for physical activity, and mental health improvements, to name a few. “Numerous studies show that the benefits of exercise in nature far exceed exercise indoors,” Gilbert said. “It enriches lives, and it will continue to enrich lives, not just for this season but for generations to come.”

For George Mason students, the benefits of NOVA Parks extend to their education and, for some, even their careers.

Paul Gilbert (left) and Bella Trimner. Photo provided.

“There’s a strong connection between NOVA Parks and George Mason,” Gilbert said. “Through NOVA parks, students have access to internships, practicums, and careers. We help make their education not just academic but very actionable. And in return, we get high-quality employees excited to work in the parks they’ve grown up around.”

One shining example is Bella Trimner, a winter 2024 graduate with a degree in recreation management.

Trimner has a long history with NOVA Parks. She started working at Fountainhead Regional Park as a junior park ranger at 17, quickly rising through the ranks to site supervisor. “I absolutely loved it and realized that this was something I could see myself making a career out of,” she said.

Her supervisor at Fountainhead Regional Park David Deem, a current George Mason student, recommended George Mason for her education because of its nationally recognized recreation management program.

When Trimner made the decision to get her degree and make a career out of parks management, she told the park operations superintendents that she hoped to become a parks specialist in the future.

“My plan was to take that role in five years. Instead, when I had that conversation, they said, ‘Well, we’re actually building a new park that will be similar to Fountainhead. It might be exactly what you’re looking for.’”

It was. Within a year, Trimner became the first parks specialist for the new Reservoir Park. Her days are varied—from running chainsaws for trail clearing, to being an ambassador for the park, to planning park programming—but she believes her education has directly impacted how quickly she has acclimated to this new managerial role.

“I have used assignments from my classes as starting points for programming plans and shared templates with my staff. When we formalized the 8-mile trail around the reservoir, I directly referenced what I'd learned about trail planning and grading from my classes on land acquisition, resource management, and accessibility. We’re implementing an interpretational signage plan that is directly influenced by the course taught by Dr. Ellen Rodgers. There’s so much from my courses that I’m using every day in every aspect of my job,” she said.

Trimner, Gilbert said, is a rock star. “When you step into a manager position at an existing park, you’re improving upon existing procedures, programming, and facilities. But as part of the management team of a brand-new park, Bella is creating all those things. We gave her a blank slate to work with. And she’s done an amazing job.”

As a fellow George Mason graduate, Gilbert firmly believes in the great contributions George Mason offers the community. “NOVA Parks relies heavily on the recreation program at George Mason, and it’s great to have such a strong program with great talent right in our backyard,” Gilbert said.

Trimner agreed. “Seeing George Mason on a resume is a green flag for us."

From left: Recreation management faculty Laurence Chalip, Ellen Rodgers, Brenda Wiggins, Hung-Ling Liu, and Sammie Powers pose with Bella Trimner (far right) and Paul Gilbert (back center). Photo provided.

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A sport for everyone: George Mason Ice Hockey Club builds lasting connections with the community

Sarah Holland — Wed, 15 May 2024 15:05:14 +0000

A sport for everyone: George Mason Ice Hockey Club builds lasting connections with the community Sarah Holland Wed, 05/15/2024 - 11:05

Andrew Nash, BS in Sports Management ’17, MS in Sports Management ’18, has played a lot of sports in his lifetime. Nothing, he says, is like hockey.

Andrew Nash, left, on the ice at the annual charity game. Photo by Matt Ricciardi

“Maybe it’s the travel, or the difficulty of the sport, but it really bonds you together like no other sport I’ve played,” Nash said. “The sense of community is stronger than I ever felt.”

Community is the foundation of the ��AV Ice Hockey Club, a philosophy that extends beyond the barriers of the rink and past the stadium’s aluminum bleachers. In partnership with the Washington Capitals and Prince William County, George Mason Ice Hockey is working to expand access to hockey through an outdoor ball hockey rink right next to their home ice in Prince William Ice Center.

While a fantastic sport, ice hockey can be inaccessible. Players need access to an ice rink and need to be able to skate adeptly; they need full-body padding and a means to transport and care for that equipment; they need to be able to pay club fees, rink fees, and travel fees.

However, ball hockey—also called street hockey—opens the door to opportunity. Players only need sneakers, a stick, and a ball, and you’re ready to play.

“Ball hockey is a fantastic way to expand access to ice hockey,” said Steve Hyjek, former head coach of the George Mason Hockey Club. “It gives more people the opportunity to try the sport, to love the sport, and to become future players or fans.”

Hyjek, who retired from his role as head coach this year at the team’s 2024 charity game, wanted his players to be active and engaged citizens, giving back to their communities long after their time at George Mason has ended.

The annual charity game is one component of that. Prior to the game, for example, players meet with the people for whom they’re fundraising. “I want them to understand who they’re helping, and why we’re helping them,” Hyjek said. “It makes them feel more connected to the cause, and to the community that supports them, but it also makes this act of giving back almost like a muscle memory. So when they graduate, they keep doing it.”

This philosophy is one that has shaped his players’ careers.

During his junior year, Nash got an internship at the Washington Capitals thanks to Hyjek and the other coaches’ connections. Nash has worked for the Capitals ever since, now as the manager for youth hockey development. His job is expanding accessibility of hockey to the Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland community, through off-ice clinics in the form of ball and inline hockey.

“There will always be people who can’t afford to play ice hockey, or for whom an ice rink is too far from them to make regular games and practices feasible, but we don’t want to push them aside and say, ‘you can’t afford it, you’re not close to a rink, so you don’t matter,’ ” Nash said. “The hope with these workshops is that we show kids and families that there are alternatives, and further develop a community for the Capitals through increased interest in the sport.

“Without the community,’ Nash said, “there is no team.”

Steve Hyjek at his final charity game as head coach. Photo by Matt Ricciardi

Mae Whitesides, BA Criminology, Law and Society ’19, managed the team’s social media and website during her time at George Mason. Like Nash, her time in George Mason hockey opened the doors for a career in sports with the Washington Capitals marketing department and, more recently, social media for MLB Network and NHL Network. The dedication to supporting each other and the community was, she said, one of her fondest memories from her time at George Mason.

“The charity game my senior year was standing room only,” she said. “We would not be who we are today if not for that support from the community, and the work people like Steve put into building up our team.”

Hyjek agreed. “When you expand the community of folks who are playing the game or who are interested in the game, it helps the sport. For us, we hope that our work brings more players interested in George Mason and Mason Hockey, or even just more fans.”

This hypothesis has already proven to be true: After spending the day at a local elementary school, teaching kids how to play ball hockey, he’s seen some of those students in the stands of their games, as well as at Learn to Skate clinics. With the new ball hockey rink, he hopes that interest will continue to grow, not just in hockey but in George Mason as well.

“You’re planting seeds,” Hyjek said. “Planting seeds so that George Mason can be on their list when the time comes.”

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Covering Inequity in the Tourism Industry

Rebecca Kobayashi — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 19:59:40 +0000

Covering Inequity in the Tourism Industry Rebecca Kobayashi Tue, 11/07/2023 - 14:59

In her new book, Inclusion in Tourism: Understanding Institutional Discrimination and Bias (Routledge, April 2023), Sue Slocum, an associate professor in Mason’s School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management, has gathered essays from experts to provide global examples of overcoming discrimination within tourism institutions around the world.

Sue Slocum. Photo by Creative Services

What inspired you to do this book?

Tourism is often assumed to be an inclusive activity where anyone with money or interest can participate. In reality, the travel and tourism industry is rife with structural barriers that prevent or discourage participation for people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. Moreover, the industry has historically privileged white males in senior management positions. For example, there are more than 650 destination marketing organizations in the United States, which promote a locale for recreational travel and/or business travel, and only 10 of those are managed by a person of color or a woman. In order to address these disparities, I felt a book of this nature could draw attention to these inequalities as a first step to remedying them.

How did you decide what topics to cover?

Edited books often rely on authors to submit their ideas for a book chapter. It is often dependent on what research is being conducted at the time you begin a project. As the chapters were submitted, I did reach out to well-known scholars to help fill the gaps. I also cowrote a chapter to ensure the topics in the book cover a variety of populations, as well as different types of structural discrimination.

Was there anything that surprised you in the research for this book?

I was surprised by chapters that discussed immigration policies that limit opportunities for marginalized groups. For example, there is a chapter on immigration policies in Canada, where academic or experience qualifications from certain countries (mostly developing countries where migrants are non-white) are not recognized, resulting in highly qualified people working in low-paying hospitality jobs, even if they have managed properties in their home country.

What are you working on now?

I am engaged with Airbnb hosts to assess stakeholder perceptions of Airbnb diversity policies. Many of these policies are a result of lawsuits filed against Airbnb. The challenge is that Airbnb hosts are not actually employees of the company, but private business entities, so that brings in elements of personal property rights versus diversity and inclusion.

Learn more about the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management

George Mason’s recreation program is helping bring parks to the people
January 8, 2025
A sport for everyone: George Mason Ice Hockey Club builds lasting connections with the community
May 15, 2024
Covering Inequity in the Tourism Industry
November 7, 2023
Tina Jones is March Employee of the Month
March 1, 2022
Tourism industry will rebound once the pandemic is under control, Mason professor says
May 3, 2021

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School of Sport Recreation and Tourism Management

Tina Jones is March Employee of the Month

Colleen Rich — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 15:22:10 +0000

Tina Jones is March Employee of the Month Colleen Rich Tue, 03/01/2022 - 10:22

In This Story

Gregory Washington

Employee of the Month Tina Jones with President Washington. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

As an instructor and fieldwork coordinator for ��AV’s School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management (SRTM), Tina Jones helps prepare students for the transition from college student to working professional.

“It's great to see students gain confidence in their abilities to secure a job or internship and then be successful when they get out in the field,” Jones said.

Jones teaches a mix of online and face-to-face courses in events management, wedding planning, civility and professionalism, career preparation, and internship at SRTM within Mason’s College of Education and Human Development. She also spends a lot of time coordinating their tourism and events management internship program by working with industry partners and connecting them with students.

“Thanks to Tina, I believe I started my career at the highest caliber I could and was able to immediately jump into the workforce with no stress that I was underqualified,” said Jaime Klopfer, BS Tourism and Events Management '16.

For her extraordinary dedication to Mason students, Jones is March Employee of the Month.

“When internships for tourism and events management students were significantly decreased due to the pandemic, she tirelessly worked with industry partners to pivot and create virtual positions for students,” said Min Park, associate professor at SRTM.

Jones joined Mason in 2006 as an adjunct instructor and later transitioned to a full-time term faculty member in 2014. In 2016, she took on the role of fieldwork coordinator in addition to her teaching load.

“I feel grateful and privileged to work here at Mason where we get to be recognized for the work we do,” Jones said.

In 2015, Jones’ guidance and expertise helped University Career Services create an ongoing tourism and events management practicum experience for students, many of whom have gone on to work at Disney, Marriott, and other tourism and events organizations.

“She inspires me to do better, and I know I will always have a friend in her,” said Janell Armstead, a tourism and events management student. “She truly is one of my favorite and most impactful professors I've had at Mason.”

How she got to Mason:

After having my first child, I quit my job to stay home with my son. I never wanted to give up my career, but I didn't want to miss that time when my son was little. So, I was trying to find something part-time. I saw a job posting for an adjunct teaching position in events management at Mason. Having worked in the industry for 14 years planning events, I thought I could teach, so I applied and was given the opportunity.

Best day on the job:

It's graduation day every year! I love to see the pride on our students’ faces (and the cool shoes they wear) as they walk across the stage.

What she likes best about working at Mason:

I love the diversity of our students and Mason's commitment to being an inclusive campus that welcomes everyone. I'm so fortunate to work with wonderful campus partners and a great team in the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management who support each other.

What she does when she’s not working:

This time of year, most of the time I'm in the gym watching my son and his Hayfield High School basketball team. I enjoy shopping with my daughter and love spending time with my family, friends, and my dog.

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Tourism industry will rebound once the pandemic is under control, Mason professor says

Colleen Rich — Mon, 03 May 2021 15:21:40 +0000

Tourism industry will rebound once the pandemic is under control, Mason professor says Colleen Rich Mon, 05/03/2021 - 11:21

Min Park. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

The international tourism industry will experience a recovery once the coronavirus pandemic is better under control, according to Min Park, associate professor of tourism and events management in ��AV’s College of Education and Human Development.

How long the recovery takes depends on several factors, such as how many people worldwide get vaccinated and how quickly countries see their economies rebound, said Park.

“It has been more than a year since we’ve been in the pandemic, with many borders closed and little international travel,” said Park. “The impact on global tourism has been devastating. But there is pent-up demand for travel that will explode when things go back to normal.”

Park said that the most conservative predictions are that it will take five years to reach pre-pandemic levels of global tourism, although more optimistic predictions put that timeframe at closer to two years. She predicts that domestic travel will bounce back faster than global travel.

“Right now, the trend is for people to travel by car over plane, which they perceive as less risky,” said Park. “People are tending to avoid largely populated destinations like cities and theme parks in favor of more remote places.”

Park says that there is a high probability that countries will agree to admit only tourists who have been fully vaccinated. The European Union recently announced that it would open for travel to vaccinated tourists.

As tourism begins to revive, hotels and restaurants will see demand and volume again, said Park. However, they should be prepared for customers that expect businesses to maintain high levels of safety and hygiene protocols. In addition, while Park predicts that work travel will pick up, some trends are here to stay. Park anticipates that some conferences, especially the smaller ones, will remain virtual even after the pandemic is over.

Park also predicts that travelers who can now work remotely will extend their vacations as working holidays. Park also expects the cruise line industry to return as their customer base is very loyal.

“The pandemic has made us realize how precious and crucial travel freedom is to our lives,” said Park. “Overall, travel will return, and tourism will bounce back, but it is up to the industries to adapt to the changing expectations of travelers and innovate based on the lessons learned from the pandemic.”

Min Park’s research is focused on tourism and its interactions with other societal phenomena, such as sharing economy, social media, overtourism, and international politics. Also, she has been published a number of journal articles in the areas of tourism growth and visitor/destination management in tourism and recreation settings. She has been an active member of the research team in Mason’s School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management and has worked with various national and international partners. She can be reached at 703-993-7194 or mparka@gmu.edu.

For more information, contact Anna Stolley Persky at apersky@gmu.edu.

About George Mason

��AV is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at www2.gmu.edu.

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coronavirus; COVID-19; Editorial

Tourism class organizes virtual conference on the impact of technology on hospitality

Colleen Rich — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 09:00:21 +0000

Tourism class organizes virtual conference on the impact of technology on hospitality Colleen Rich Tue, 06/09/2020 - 05:00

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U.S. tourism industry will face economic impact from coronavirus, Mason professor says

Colleen Rich — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 13:44:07 +0000

U.S. tourism industry will face economic impact from coronavirus, Mason professor says Colleen Rich Fri, 02/07/2020 - 08:44

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