graduate Research projects
Colloquium Projects
"Construction of a 'Universal' Hiking Trail and Classification of the Perceived Benefits and Perspectives of Two Different User Groups"
Student: Jennifer Samela, M.S.
Advisor: Dr. Lou Powell
This project focused on the application of accessibility standards in the design of a universal hiking trail and studied the perceived benefits of trail use among individual users with and without mobility impairments.
"Manchester-by-the-Sea: Parks and Recreation Master Plan Survey"
Student: Karyn. A. MacNeill, M.S.
Advisors: Dr. Bob Barcelona and Dr. Janet Sable
This project focused on a comprehensive assessment of the public view of current parks and recreation services offered by Manchester-by-the Sea's Parks and Recreation Department and determined specific programming desires of the residents.
"Freeman Tilden: An Analysis of Tilden's Life and Contributions to Interpretation"
Student: Candace Shea, M.S.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Janet Sable
An in-depth study of the life of Freeman Tilden, the "father of interpretation". The project entailed a content analysis of significant primary sources and a thematic analysis of interviews of Tilden's colleagues and other stakeholders to explore Tilden's life experiences, values, and underlying philosophies that allowed him to make significant contributions to the National Park Service.
"Design of a Solo Track Hiking Chair"
Student: David Lee, CTRS, M.S.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Janet Sable
This project involved the design and field test of a prototype "off-road" hiking chair for individuals with a wide range of physical abilities. The Solo Track Hiking Chair requires less assistance by able-bodied hikers than the assistance required for current "off-road" hiking chairs and the Solo Track has less environmental impact than other adaptive hiking equipment.
"Design and Implementation of a Legislative Action Plan for Therapeutic Recreation Licensure in New Hampshire"
Student: Jill Gravink, CTRS, M.S.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Janet Sable and Dr. Lou Powell
This project centered on the systematic design and implementation of a plan to legislate licensing of recreation therapists in the state of New Hampshire. The advocacy plan and legislative action of this project came to fruition with the passage of the current New Hampshire law that establishes state licensure for recreational therapists.
"A Therapeutic Recreation Needs Assessment"
Student: Valerie Griffin, M.S., CTRS/L
Advisor: Dr. Janet Sable
This need assessment study addressed a community-based service organization’s desire for a therapeutic recreation program to serve adults and children with developmental disabilities. The organization offered residential and day programs for adults, and early childhood and preschool programs for children with developmental disabilities. The study was conducted to ascertain which therapeutic recreation services represented the greatest need and which interventions would be most useful for its consumers.
"The Impact of the CoachSmartNH Coaching Education Program on Motivational Climates in a Youth Basketball Setting"
Student: Michael Mengers, M.S.
Advisor: Dr. Bob Barcelona and Dr. Janet Sable
The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of coaching education programs on a coach’s ability to create a task/mastery motivational climate for youth sport participants. The study used the Motivational Climate Scale for Youth Sports (MCSYS) to evaluate the motivational climates that their coaches created. The participants’ perceptions of their coaches who had training in CoachSmartNH were compared to participants’ perceptions of coaches that had not been trained in CoachSmartNH. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of coaching education programs on creating a positive motivational climate for youth sports participants.
"Individualized Programming and Its Affect on Agitated Behavior in the Elderly"
Student: Gisela Ashley, M.S., CTRS/L
Advisor: Dr. Janet Sable
Group programming in long-term care facilities do not offer adequate recreation choices to its residents and serves as few as 10% of the resident’s needs. This study examined whether the P.L.A.C.E.S. Program had an effect on decreasing the frequency of agitated behavior of the residents on a specific residential care unit at an private long term care facility.
"Undertanding the Motives and Constraints to Volunteering for a Non-Profit Professional Association"
Student: Deborah Robinson, M.S., CTRS/L
The purpose of this study was to examine the motives and constraints that recreational therapists in New England say impact their volunteering for the New England Therapeutic Recreation Association (NETRA), a regional non-profit professional association.