December 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 52

NRPA Update

Member Spotlight: Anna Pechenik Mausolf, CPRP

f you want to be encouraged by the future of park and recreation research,
look no further than Anna Pechenik Mausolf. The 30-year-old doctoral student in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas
A&M University lives her passion for recreation and inspires her students to
do the same. Winner of NRPA's 2012 Outstanding Graduate Student Award,
Mausolf is highly involved with NRPA's Young Professionals Network and
augments her bachelor's degree in earth science and outdoor and environmental recreation as well as her master's degree in park and recreation management with a variety of professional experiences from the field. We took time to
chat with her at the 2014 NRPA Congress to discuss her professional travels,
academic aspirations and coaching experiences for the association's Park and
Recreation Student Quiz Bowl.

Parks & Recreation Magazine: Your
professional experiences have taken
you to some interesting corners of the
globe. Tell us about some highlights.
Anna Pechenik Mausolf: Recreation is
such an amazing career field because
you can work with so many different
populations across the globe. One of
my favorite experiences was in February 2009 with the Red Cross in Victoria, Australia. Immense bushfires had
recently burned many towns, causing
school closures across the region. Because local children were not in class,
we provided recreational experiences
as a welcome break from the profound
stress these families were facing while
rebuilding their lives. The ability to facilitate joy in the midst of tragedy reminded me why I love this field.
50 Parks & Recreation

P&R: How do you plan to focus your
future research?
Mausolf: From a research perspective,
the relationship between outdoor recreation and health outcomes is challenging to measure in a scientifically
meaningful way. I intend to spend my
academic career conducting objective,
quality research that investigates the
nature of the relationship between
participation in outdoor recreation
activities and personal health. If our
field wants primary care physicians
and health insurance providers as allies, we must have unbiased scientific
evidence to support our claims.
P&R: You've been a member of
NRPA since you were in your master's program at the University of
Mississippi. Why did you decide to
join the association, and what benefits have you most enjoyed from
your membership?
Mausolf: Dr. Kim Beason, CPRP, was
a wonderful mentor [at Ole Miss]. He is
a true advocate of the researcher-practitioner partnership as he helped me to
understand the role of the university
system in preparing the future of our
field. By obtaining and maintaining his
CPRP, Dr. Beason is a model of dedi-

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cation to both the practice and research
of recreation. That in turn led me to
approach the field on similar terms. As
a future academic, joining NRPA and
earning my CPRP certification were
both smart moves as they've helped me
to meet like-minded individuals and establish a network of fellow recreators,
and it has inspired innovative research
questions and opportunities that are
both timely and relevant.
P&R: You've served as a Quiz Bowl
coach at three NRPA Congresses.
Tell us about this experience and
how it helped your students.
Mausolf: I absolutely love coaching
these extroverted, high-achieving
students. I think that academically
strong students deserve this external reward and recognition for their
efforts. Texas A&M University is a
strong supporter of NRPA, and its
COAPRT accreditation is one of
the reasons I chose to apply here for
my doctoral studies. It is great to be
a part of this push toward academic
excellence, backed by the fundamental support of our department head,
Dr. Gary Ellis, and our generous financial donors who have sponsored
an undergraduate quiz bowl team for
every year of the competition. I hope
that the student quiz bowl continues
to grow in size and popularity, as it is
such a fun, friendly way to cheer on
the future leaders in our field!
Mausolf, her husband Adam and
their pit bull, Athena, live in College
Station, Texas, and enjoy taking advantage of local and international
outdoor recreation opportunities.
- Danielle Taylor, Executive Editor for
Parks & Recreation Magazine

December 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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