Susan L. Montgomery, M.S., CTRS

Education

B.S., Art, University of Montevallo, 1990
M.S., Recreation, Hospitality, and Tourism, University of Tennessee, 1998
Coursework in Leisure Studies, University of Georgia, 2010-2011

Teaching Philosophy

My goal for teaching therapeutic recreation and leisure studies is to help students to gain an understanding of concepts so they are able to apply knowledge to real world, practical settings. To accomplish this, I challenge students to continuously experience and question the world around them by providing practical examples and opportunities for learning.

My hope is that our students learn to develop their own work/life balance, as they prepare to enter into service to others working in both the fields of therapeutic recreation and recreation. One of my favorite quotes by Plato is: “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

Research

My research interests include: adaptive kayaking, recreation and leisure post brain injury and utilization of fly fishing as a therapeutic activity for women with cancer.

Biography

Prior to coming to USA, I served as the Director of Recreation for the Alabama Head Injury Foundation and worked at Shepherd Center/Shepherd Pathways as a recreation therapist. My favorite leisure pastimes are: spending time with my bulldog, fly fishing, and traveling.

Courses

LS 191 - Introduction to Leisure Studies
LS 292 - Outdoor Recreation and Adventure
LS 295 - Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation
LS 298 - Practicum in Therapeutic Recreation
LS 498 - Internship in Therapeutic Recreation