Oct. 30, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Did digital gestures from destination marketing organizations resonate with Black travelers? In the summer of 2020, when streets across the U.S. filled with protests for racial and social justice, something unusual happened in the world of tourism. Destination marketing organizations—better known as DMOs—suddenly became vocal online allies. Their Instagram […]
Tag: RST Newsletter Fall 2025
Tattoos as anchors of transformative travel
Oct. 27, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo A new RST study examines how tattoos from memorable trips continue to ‘speak’ over time At the intersection of body art and travel lies a fascinating phenomenon: tattoos serving as anchors of transformative experiences. A new study from Recreation, Sport and Tourism faculty members Toni Liechty and Joelle Soulard, […]
A friendship forged in RST: Dan Bernstein and Alex Roux’s journey at Illinois
Oct. 27, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo For Dan Bernstein and Alex Roux, the University of Illinois was more than just a place to study—it was the setting for a friendship that would shape their student years and ripple into their careers Both arrived on campus passionate about Illini sports, uncertain of exactly where their paths […]
Teaching the next ‘champions for change’ in sport
Oct. 24, 2025 | Ethan Simmons This Recreation, Sport and Tourism course brought together undergrads and local high school student-athletes, to understand how sport can produce positive social change. A new Recreation, Sport and Tourism course—Inclusive Champions for Change through Sport, or IC-ChangeS for short—is challenging Illinois students to understand how sports can provide a […]
Remembering Ron Dodd, a leader in public parks and recreation
Oct. 27, 2025 | Laura Payne RST alumni fondly remember a leader in the field Ron Dodd, former director of the Joliet Park District and an RST alumnus, passed away on July 31, 2025, at the age of 84. Dodd was a leader and educator in public parks and recreation and the embodiment of a […]
Remembering Dr. Laurence Chalip, a giant in sport policy and management
Oct. 27, 2025 | Laura Payne RST alumni fondly remember a former department head Dr. Laurence Chalip, former head of the Department of Recreation Sport and Tourism and a Brightbill/Sapora professor, died on Sept. 5, 2025, at the age of 74. Chalip was a global leader and visionary in the field of sport policy and […]
Message from the department head
Oct. 27, 2025 | Carla Santos Dear RST Friends and Alumni, As the fall semester unfolds, I am delighted to share the newest edition of our Recreation, Sport and Tourism newsletter. This issue reflects the breadth of scholarship, creativity and connection that define our department. Among the stories you’ll read are the work of Charis […]
Understanding the trauma coping of Ukrainian refugees
Oct. 21, 2025 | Ethan Simmons ‘This was by far the most difficult and I think impactful work that I have done’ Sitting face-to-face with Ukrainian refugees who had escaped to Poland after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Recreation, Sport and Tourism Professor Monika Stodolska asked a set of questions many of them hadn’t considered. Namely, […]