Associate Professor Rasul Mowatt has been appointed the new chair of the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. His appointment begins July 1, 2017.

“It is with excitement that we make this announcement today,” says Mohammad Torabi, dean of the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. “Dr. Mowatt will serve as a great leader for our Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies. The intersection of recreation and public health has never been more important than it is today, and the research and work being done by our faculty in this department will have a tremendous effect on future generations.”

Mowatt has been teaching at IU since July 2006 and currently teaches courses focused on leisure behavior, diversity, and event planning. Prior to joining the faculty at IU, he served as the Community Program Manager for the Champaign Park District in Illinois, was the President of the Champaign-Urbana Sunrise Club of Rotary International, and held the role of Illinois’ State Coordinator of the Voter Empowerment Program of the NAACP.

Mowatt has published a number of book chapters as well as articles, and focuses his research on leisure behavior, social justice, cultural studies, and critical pedagogy.

He earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mowatt has been recognized with several awards and honors, including the Indiana University Division of Student Affairs Gordon Faculty Award, the Academy of Leisure Science Excellence in Teaching Award, the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington Trustees Teaching Award, the IU Student Foundation Student Choice Award, and the IU Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching Award.

The IU School of Public Health-Bloomington Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies offers specializations in Public, Nonprofit, and Community Recreation; Recreational Sport Management; Recreational Therapy; Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management; and Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Human Ecology. The Department works closely with local, state and national agencies in cooperative research, education, and internship opportunities, and has a variety of external activities and initiatives, including Bradford Woods, the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, and the Leisure Research Institute.