New Faculty: RST

Mikihiro Sato
Assistant Professor

Prior to joining AHS, Dr. Sato was an assistant professor in the Hart School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management at James Madison University. He completed his PhD in business administration at Temple University. He earned an MBA degree and an MSA in Sports Administration at Ohio University. His bachelor’s degree in physical electronics is from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

The goal of Dr. Sato’s research is to explain how and why sport participation promotes well-being. He examines environments such as sporting events, fitness clubs, parks, and recreational facilities and how they influence the levels and patterns of individuals’ physical activity and long-term well-being. He also is investigating how COVID-19 has affected people’s participation in sport as well as their health and well-being. His work has been published in such journals as Sport Management Review, Journal of Aging and Health, and Journal of Leisure Research. In 2019, he received a Research Fellow Award from the North American Society for Sport Management.

Dr. Sato said the RST curriculum’s integration of recreation, sport, and tourism management intersects directly with his research and teaching. “There are a number of faculty whose research areas cross over with my interests,” he said. “I am impressed with the quality of students in the department and look forward to working with them in research and in the classroom.”

Joelle Soulard
Assistant Professor

Dr. Soulard recently completed her PhD in the Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Virginia Tech. Her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in recreation, park and tourism sciences are from Texas A&M University.

Her research focuses on empowering travel experiences that encourage meaningful interactions between travelers and destination residents and inspire civic engagement. Her goal is to explore creative, relevant, and inclusive solutions to challenges faced by communities in which tourism development is occurring. She has published in journals such as Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, and Journal of Travel Research. Certified in Hotel Industry Analytics, Dr. Soulard received an Olsen Graduate Memorial Fellowship at Virginia Tech.

Dr. Soulard said she found RST’s value for community-centered approaches to research, teaching, and outreach appealing. “RST’s focus on producing meaningful and impactful research that benefits local communities in a sustainable and inclusive manner resonated deeply with me, and I am excited to become part of this dynamic and creative team of faculty,” she said.