Faculty Research Interests
Dr. Lynn Barnett Morris
Dr. Barnett Morris builds upon her academic training in educational psychology by exploring how and what children learn from their informal
experiences–their play and recreation behaviors–and how these impact their development. She conducts research investigating children's
participation in out-of-school activities from early ages through adolescence, and seeks to establish linkages between these experiences and their
social, cognitive, psychological, and emotional development. She is also invested in exploring how play behaviors are shaped through parent and
environmental influences, as well as the predispositions for play that children and adults carry into a diversity of settings. She applies research
findings to the optimal design of play environments and materials to facilitate children's development.
Dr. Jacqueline McDowell
Dr. McDowell's research focuses on issues of diversity and inclusion in intercollegiate athletics. Her primary line of inquiry is in the
organizational experiences of women of color who serve in athletic administration and coaching positions and exploring how they negotiate their
race and gender identities in the workplace. She is also interested in exploring the outcomes of diversity management strategies and the
effectiveness of diversity initiatives in intercollegiate athletics. She is currently working (in collaboration with Dr. Kim Shinew) to
develop a program for young women of color to address the low percentage of women of color in leadership positions in sport and recreation
organizations. The program proposes to improve the quality of life of young women of color by (a) addressing some barriers (i.e. mentoring
and role models) pertaining to the employment of women of color in sport and recreation organizations, and (b) assist young women of color
aspiring to have a career in these organizations through education, mentorship, and professional development. If you are interested in working
with Dr. McDowell, please send her an e-mail at jmcd@illinois.edu with a brief description of your
background and research interests.
Dr. Laura Payne
Dr. Payne's focus is on research, service and teaching in the area of community recreation and park systems, with a research interest in
the relationship between leisure engagement and health. Her mission as a scholar is to conduct research and teaching that connects theory and
practice in a way that documents and demonstrates the value of leisure experiences, programs, and services to individuals, organizations
(e.g., health and human service practitioners and scholars, government officials, non-profit associations) and communities.
Dr. Carla Santos
Dr. Santos' research program is focused on the examination of communicative practices (from mass mediated narratives to the face-to-face dyad) as
a means of addressing the socio-political and cultural impact of tourism on the world's people and cultures. Central to her research is the notion
that to truly understand the impact of tourism we have to explore the ways we talk about and make sense of destinations and hosts. Dr. Santos
proposes that tourism communicative practices are powerful and meaningful because they provide the host and tourist with the means of "making sense"
of the world and their place in it. Her work is distinctive in that: 1) it exposes the centrality of tourism in the ongoing construction of personal
and cultural understandings; 2) it exposes how hosts and tourists engage in their moment-by-moment tourism experiences; and 3) it exposes the ways
tourism communicative practices can serve as a resource for promoting social sustainability. From this framework, her research generally follows two
intersecting lines of inquiry. First, she explores the communicative practices used by tourism stakeholdersÂspecifically, the ways we talk about and
make sense of hosts, cultures, and destinations. Second, she explores the possibilities and challenges individuals experience when they use tourism
communicative practices to work with, represent, and influence othersÂspecifically, how communicative practices shape the moment-by-moment social
actions of hosts and tourists. She currently serves on the Editorial Boards of Annals of Tourism Research, Journal of Travel Research, Journal
of Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Tourism, Culture and Communication. If interested, please email Carla Santos
(csantos@illinois.edu) with a CV and brief description of your research interests.
Dr. Kim Shinew
Dr. Shinew's research efforts focus on studying marginalized populations. Most of her research has focused on the leisure behavior of racial
and ethnic minorities, particularly African Americans and Latino(a)s. More specifically, she seeks to delineate the complex relationships between
race/ethnicity and leisure behavior and services. Her research also examines issues affecting the leisure behavior and services of women. In her
research, she strives to highlight the constraints and other factors that can make leisure and leisure services problematic for marginalized
populations, and the parallel issues that can affect these groups. Some of her research projects have included the following topics: 1) understanding
unique and culturally-relevant leisure participation patterns and constraints among racial and ethnic minorities; 2) investigating leisure spaces
as sites for interracial integration and/or segregation; 3) exploring physical activity as a leisure choice for racial and ethnic minorities; 4)
examining the leisure constraints women face and their resistance to these constraints; 5) investigating the impact of the environment on physical
activity patterns; 6) exploring the effects of crime on leisure participation patterns , and 7) coping strategies marginalized populations employ
to develop satisfying leisure lifestyles. Dr. Shinew also serves as the Editor of the Journal of Leisure Research. If interested in working with
Dr. Shinew, please send her an email at shinew@illinois.edu with a brief description of your research interests.
Dr. Monika Stodolska
Dr. Stodolska's research focuses on leisure behavior of ethnic and racial minorities and on constraints on leisure. She explores subjects such
as the effects of race and ethnicity on leisure behavior of recent immigrants, the adaptation processes among minority groups, and transnationalism.
Other subjects that are prominent in her research include ethnic and racial discrimination in leisure settings, physical activity among minority
populations, as well as constraints on leisure. Her recent research projects explored the effects of crime in minority communities on physical
activity among Latino youth (with Dr. Shinew), the role of sport spectatorship in identity development among immigrant Latinos (with Dr. Tainsky),
environmental preferences and leisure behavior among ethnic and racial minority members (with Dr. Shinew), leisure and transnational networks among
Mexican immigrants (with Dr. Santos), sport and physical activity participation among ethnic and racial minorities (with Drs. Shinew and Alexandris),
and the effects of religion on leisure behavior among American Muslims (with Dr. Livengood). In her research projects, Dr. Stodolska explored leisure
behavior, physical activity, and sport among a number of minority populations including Latinos, African Americans, Chinese, Koreans, Poles, and
Muslims. Among other places, her students conducted field research in Kenya, Mexico, China, Korea, and Peru. If you are interested in working with
Dr. Stodolska, please send her an e-mail at stodolsk@illinois.edu with a brief description of your
background and research interests.
Dr. Scott Tainsky
Dr. Tainsky is a sports economist whose research draws on microeconomics and labor economics theory to study current issues in professional
team sports. His main line of research examines fan viewership of sporting contests. Tainsky's recent studies have explored the similarities and
differences between demand shifters for televised and live sports viewership and (with Prof. Stodolska) the effect of domestic migration on team
loyalty. Other recent projects have shown the relationship between MLB's performance-enhancing drug policy and consumer demand as well as how the
influx of international players has impacted MLB revenues (both with Prof. Winfree of the University of Michigan). Current efforts are focused on
the impact of local team contests on other NFL broadcasts, demand for NFL broadcasts in markets without local teams (with Prof. McEvoy of Illinois
State University), and (with Prof. Babiak of the University of Michigan) how athlete and team philanthropy induces loyalty among sports fans.
Opportunities are available for graduate students seeking full-time study in Sport Economics at the PhD level. Ideal candidates possess a strong
interest in the study of microeconomics and sport organizations with a background in economics, business, statistics, sport management or associated
areas. We have a fantastic group of researchers in related fields, both in our Department and on the Illinois campus. If interested, please email
Scott Tainsky (tainsky@illinois.edu) with a CV and brief description of your research interests.