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Profile for Laurie Harmon

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Laurie Harmon

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Professor
Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

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Laurie Harmon Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Professor

Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy

Specialty area(s)

My primary areas of research are social-psychological outcomes of nature-based recreation including how we come to know and get connected to places, technology and the outdoors, and the scholarship of teaching & learning.  I particularly enjoy the work I do using underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to get youth and adults connected to aquatic environments.

Brief biography

I am a Landscape Architect who morphed into academics. After designing golf courses in Michigan for 7 years, I returned to complete a Master's Degree at Michigan State University. During that time, I also raised a Leader Dog for the Blind - it was a wonderful way to engage with students & faculty while being a part of an organization who provides outstanding support for individuals with visual impairments. I completed my PhD in Leisure Studies at The Pennsylvania State University and have been teaching in recreation since 2004. After teaching in the greater Washington DC area, I arrived at UW-La Crosse in 2012 and am thoroughly enjoying being a part of the Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy department - we have an excellent and student-centered group of individuals here who know how to have fun while embracing learning.

In terms of research, I continue to be curious about the ways we come to know and become connected to the natural places in our world and how those connections affect us. I completed research in a variety of National Parks (e.g. Sequoia & Kings Canyon, The National Mall, Isle Royale) as well as various regional natural areas. I also explored how technology affects our place interactions. With my Michigan colleagues, for instance, I used underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to help youth engage with a variety of aquatic environments and sometimes use ROVs in various courses here connecting students to the Mississippi River ecosystem.

I love fostering relationships with the outdoors and particularly enjoy hearing how people interact with the natural environment in ways that allow the environment to flourish and be available for future generations. Please feel free to e-mail or drop by any time.

Current courses at UWL

I either taught or am currently teaching the following courses:

FYS 100 - Time Wasted or Time Well Spent?  Leisure in the New Millennium

REC 150 - Leisure, Quality of Life, and Well Being

REC 204 - Introduction to Outdoor Education

REC 306 - Nature Rx:  Environmental Ethics and Behaviors in Recreation and Tourism

REC 330 - Principles of Recreational Land Management

REC 335 - Environmental Interpretation

REC 340 - Evaluation Methods and Practices

REC 345 - Ecotourism

REC 400/500 - Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Facility Planning (undergrad & grad level)

REC 404 - Budgeting in Recreation Services

REC 711 - Leisure Services Management (graduate level)

REC 731 - Data Evaluation & Management (online RM Master's program)

REC 737 - Biophilia (online RM Master's program)

REC 740 - Outdoor Education (graduate level)

Education

The Pennsylvania State University
  Doctor of Philosophy in Leisure Studies
    Dissertation: Place attachment and visitors to Isle Royale N.P.
    Minor: Social Psychology

Michigan State University
  Master of Science in Park, Recreation, and Tourism Resources
  Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Career

Teaching history

Rather than a history, here is my teaching philosophy:

As an educator, my goal is to create a learning environment that: 1) generates an engaging learning environment through authentic experiences; 2) fosters problem solving and critical thinking opportunities; and 3) encourages self-discovery and empowerment through innovation.  Within this context, I do my best to build a collaborative and constructive learning environment while encouraging students to develop professionally relevant skills such as initiative, confidence, and critical thinking.

Research and publishing

Publications include the following:

Harmon, L.K. (2025). Conflict Management & Self-Care. In Gomez, E. (Ed.). Colleague to Colleague:  Just-In-Time Advice for Department Leaders. SUNY Press.

Kumm, B. E., Harmon, L.K. (2021). Listening, Learning, and Leaning into Pandemic Pedagogy. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education, DOI: 10.1080/1937156X.2021.1962216

Read, J. B., Daniels, M. J., & Harmon, L.K. (2021).  Implementing Technology-Based Visitor Counts in Parks: A Methodological Overview.  Journal of Park & Recreation Administration, 39 (1), 85-103.

Kumm, B. E., Harmon, L.K., Evans, K., Plunkett, D., & Widuch, D. (2019). The benefits of collaboration:  From curriculum mapping to a community of practice. SCHOLE (Special Issue on Navigating Academic Life).

Daniels, M. J., Harmon, L.K., Vese, R., Park, M., & Brayley, R.E. (2018). Spatial dynamics of tour bus transport within urban destinations. Tourism Management, 64, 129-141.

Harmon, L.K. (2016). Place Perceptions. In Bricker, K. & Nickerson, N. (Eds.). Demystifying Theories in Tourism. CABI Publishing.

Harmon, L.K. & Haas, G. (2016). Planning and Decision Making. In Baas, J. & Burns, R. (Eds). Best Practices in Recreation Resources Planning: A Resource Guide for Planners. Venture Publishing: State College, PA.

Daniels, M. J., Harmon, L.K., Barrow, M., Park, M., Brayley, R.E. & Vese, R. (2015). Heritage tourism within a capital city: Symbolism and dissonance. Tourism Review International, 19, 1-18.

Samaras, A. P., Karczmarczyk, D. Smith, L., Woodville, L., Harmon, L., Nasser, I., Parsons, S., Smith, T., Borne, K., Constantine, L., Roman-Mendoza, E., Suh, J., Swanson, R. (Book chapter under final review). The shark in the vitrine: Experiencing our practice from the inside out with cross-disciplinary lenses. In Pithouse, K, Mitchell, C., & Pillay, D. (Eds.). The inward I”: Enacting reflexivity in Higher Education research. Human Sciences Research Council Press.

Paden, R., Harmon, L. & Milling C. (2013). Philosophical Histories of the Aesthetics of Nature. Environmental Ethics. 1-17. Vol.35.

Samaras, A. P., Smith, L., Harmon, L., Nasser, I., Smith, T., Borne, K., Parsons, S., Woodville,L., Constantine, L., Roman-Mendoza, E., Suh, J., Swanson, R., & Karczmarczyk, D. (2012). Reforming in the first person plural: Explorations of a faculty self-study collaborative. In J.R. Young, L.B., Erickson & S. Pinnegar (Eds.). Extending inquiry communities: Illuminating teacher education through self-study. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices, East Sussex, England (pp. 251-255). Provo, UT: Brigham Young University.

Paden, R., Harmon, L. & Milling C. (2012). Ecology, Evolution and Aesthetics: Darwinian Arguments Against Positive Aesthetics. British Journal of Aesthetics. 1-17. doi:10.1093/aesthj/ays001.

Harmon, L.K. & Johnson, S. (2012). The future of outdoor recreation administration. In M. Erpelding & G. Harrison (Eds.). Outdoor Program Administration: Essentials for the Professional. Human Kinetics.

Harmon, L.K., Daniels, M. J., Brayley, R.E. & Park, M. (2011). Is a nation's front yard becoming a dumping ground? A critical analysis of greenspace within the United States National Mall & Memorial Parks. Special Issue of Journal of Tourism and Leisure Studies, 17(2), 269-292.

Harmon, L.K. & Harrington, L. (2010). Building a Community Garden in Your Park: Opportunities for Health, Community and Recreation. Virginia: National Recreation and Park Association. Available at www.nrpa.org/garden.

Park, M., Daniels, M.J., Brayley, R. & Harmon, L.K. (2010). An analysis of service provision and visitor impacts using participant observation and photographic documentation: The National Cherry Blossom Festival. Event Management, 14, 167-182.

Harmon, L.K. & Gleason, M. (2009). Underwater explorers: Using underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to engage youth with underwater environments. Children, Youth and Environments. 19 (1), 125-143.

Daniels, M. J., Harmon, L.K., Park, M., & Brayley, R.E. (2009). National Mall & Memorial Parks: Past, present, future. In W. Frost & C. M. Hall (Eds.), Tourism and national parks: International perspectives on development, histories and change (pp.282-297). Oxford: Routledge.

Kudos

interviewed

Laurie Harmon, Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy, was interviewed by Meredith Lawrence & Reed Smidt of MRPA On The Air Podcast, a podcast for Minnesota Recreation and Park Association members and friends, on Oct. 29. Hosts Meredith and Reed talked with Harmon, Chad Simich from Flagship Recreation, and student member Andrew Blahnik at the MRPA Annual Conference 2025. The conversation with Laurie included discussion of the important role UWL's recreation management program plays in the growth of community recreation regionally and nationwide.

Submitted on: Dec. 16, 2025

presented

Laurie Harmon, Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy, presented "Cultivating Future Departmental Leadership: The Role of the Department Head/Chair" at The Academy of Leisure Sciences Annual Conference on March 6 in Pittsburgh, PA. Department chairs play a crucial role in higher education organizations. Decision processes emanating from this level, including those concerning personnel, account for 80% of all decisions made at the institutional level. Yet the people in these roles face unique challenges. The decisions made related to people require interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, as well as skills in managing budgets. However, many chairs, who often join the academy as experts in their disciplines or fields, need additional guidance to develop the skills necessary to create inclusive and supportive environments for faculty, staff, and students. This panel provided insight into the role of department heads and offered advice on how to best prepare for the role.

Submitted on: Mar. 15, 2025

presented

Keith Fulthorpe, California State University - Long Beach; Brenda Wiggins, George Mason University; and Laurie Harmon, Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy; presented "Outreach & Recruitment: In it for the long game" at the National Academic Leadership Retreat on Feb. 27 in Palm Springs, California. As discovery majors, recreation-related majors seem to be in a constant state of trying to “get the word out” to incoming students. Whether we call ourselves departments of leisure, recreation, tourism, experience management, parks or some combination, unless an entering first-year student has direct interaction with one of our practitioners, we are not likely to be found quickly when students research possible majors. In our session, we shared how three programs are at various stages of approaching this challenge. Facing obstacles such as dropping enrollment, loss of positions, a pandemic and reduced budgets, we discussed how a systematic approach, coupled with administrative support to “give it time”, helped stabilize and even increase enrollment, and build higher levels of student engagement.

Submitted on: Mar. 3, 2024

presented

Jon Evans, Katherine Evans, Laurie Harmon, Brian Kumm-Schaley and Daniel Plunkett, all Recreation Management & Recreational Therapy, presented "WPRA Recreation Management Pre-Conference Panel Discussion" at Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association Annual Meeting on Jan. 30 in La Crosse, WI. This panel discussion reviewed recent curriculum changes, departmental responses to post-COVID student needs, student recruitment and retention strategies, and a Q&A period. Highlights included: modifications for the RM curriculum; development of certificate programs, facilitation of student learning experience, internship requirements and opportunities, departmental reach and initiatives to increase enrollment and professional engagement, and collaboration opportunities between the academic unit and professional counterparts in the field.

Submitted on: Feb. 6, 2024

presented

Laurie Harmon, Recreation Management & Therapeutic Recreation, presented "Nature, Mental Health, and SLOs" at Retention through Wellness in Nature Summer Workshop on Aug. 10 online. This workshop focused on discussion of how college campuses are utilizing nature to improve students' mental health needs. Mechanisms for outcomes and practical applications were the focus.

Submitted on: Aug. 23, 2022

Laurie Harmon's office hours

Monday
10 a.m. to noon
or by appointment
Tuesday
10 a.m. to noon
or by appointment
Wednesday
10 a.m. to noon
or by appointment
Thursday
10 a.m. to noon
or by appointment
Friday
10 a.m. to noon
or by appointment

Remote office hours offered: Virtual appointments are an option. Please contact me at lharmon@uwlax.edu if you'd like to schedule a virtual meeting.