May 21, 2025 | Adelyn Mui Green spaces benefit people and the environment in many ways but not all voters see it that way 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, […]
Tag: RST
2025 RST department head message
May 21, 2025 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 […]
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 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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]