Zabriskie Named Leisure Sciences Fellow

PROVO, Utah – Aug 18, 2016 – Ramon Zabriskie loves to get outdoors and have fun, but that doesn’t mean his career takes a hike. Seventeen years of teaching and dedicated research marked the trail for Zabriskie, a professor in the Marriott School of Management’s Department of Recreation Management, to become the department’s first elected fellow in the Academy of Leisure Sciences.

“It’s very humbling to even be nominated — let alone elected — as a fellow,” Zabriskie says. “It came as a wonderful surprise, and I’m so excited to receive this honor.”

His induction into the academy allows him to join the ranks of esteemed scholars working toward the intellectual advancement of leisure sciences.

Zabriskie’s nomination stems from his leadership and participation in professional organizations, contribution to research and scholarly literature, and long-term engagement in the leisure science profession. Fellows Karla Henderson, professor at North Carolina State University, and Daniel Dustin, professor at the University of Utah, formally nominated Zabriskie.

“Dr. Zabriskie has been actively involved in higher education and the field of therapeutic recreation for many years,” Henderson wrote in the nomination. “He has been a competent and consummate teacher, leader and advocate for leisure, especially as it relates to families and therapeutic recreation.”

Family recreation is Zabriskie’s foremost research topic, including how leisure affects family dynamics, function and wellness.  His work and studies have been published in the Journal of Leisure Research and other respected journals in the field.

“Ramon is the most prolific scholar and author in our department’s history,” says Neil Lundberg, chair of the recreation management department.

After graduating from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in 1989 and a master’s degree in 1993, Zabriskie received his PhD in leisure behavior and therapeutic recreation from Indiana University in 2000. In addition to a full-time career as a professor and researcher, Zabriskie currently serves as secretary on the Academy of Leisure Sciences board of directors. He also started and runs his own company — Dr. Z flyfishing — and teaches the trusty fly-fishing trade to BYU students in the program.

“Not only is he an exceptional scholar, but his teaching is also unmatched,” Lundberg says. “He is loved deeply and even idolized by many of his students. His influence has truly been significant and he is well deserving of this honor.”

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems and public management. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,300 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.