SUNY Cortland Recreation Conference marks 71st year

10/26/2021 

Lynn Anderson, a nationally recognized expert in the fields of outdoor, therapeutic and inclusive recreation, will deliver the prestigious Metcalf Endowment Lecture at the 71st annual SUNY Cortland Recreation Conference, a virtual conference set to take place Thursday, Nov. 4, and Friday, Nov. 5.

Anderson, a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and faculty member in SUNY Cortland’s Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies Department, will discuss how human beings can find a sense of freedom and relief through leisure from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4.

In order to keep everyone safe, organizers for a second year are moving the conference to an entirely online platform on Cisco Webex.

Conference registration is now open. This year’s virtual conference costs $75 for professionals and $45 for students.

For additional information and to register for the conference, visit cortland.edu/recconf or call 607-753-4939 or email recconf@cortland.edu.

Both days will be live streamed. Sessions will be available following the conference until Friday, Dec. 31, for individuals unable to attend synchronously who are registered for the conference. For a $10 fee, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available for qualifying sessions.

“Freedom Through Leisure: Learning-Coping-Growth” is the theme of the two-day event, the nation’s oldest continuous collegiate-sponsored recreation education conference.

“This year’s theme, ‘Freedom Through Leisure’ has always helped people find a sense of freedom and relief from life’s challenges,” said conference coordinator and marketing chair Kenny Flores. “Unfortunately, over the past year the leisure and recreation profession has faced unprecedented disruption and change.

“However, in the face of this, we have also seen the creativity and flexibility of so many fellow professionals, as they have worked to continue to provide high quality services. With this in mind, the 71st annual SUNY Cortland Recreation Conference wants to focus on the innovation, adaptation and durability of our fellow recreation professionals.”

The conference will feature numerous presentations in the field of recreation, parks and leisure studies. Check the conference website for updates on the sessions and schedule.

The Recreation Conference annually hosts 300 to 400 students and professionals in the fields of recreation, parks, and leisure studies from all over New York state, the greater New England area and beyond. 

Presented by the university’s Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies Department and students in the Special Events Planning class led by Jason Page ’08, M ’12, assistant professor of recreation, parks and leisure studies, the conference receives additional support for the Metcalf Keynote Address from the Metcalf Endowment Fund. Sponsors also include the Recreation Association of SUNY Cortland, Campus Artist and Lecture Series and Alumni Engagement. 

Besides Flores, students on the conference committee included Jared Black, Mike Petito and Jennivie Wilson.

This year’s alumni presenters will include Page, Esther VanGorder M ’15 and Jacqueline Dyke M ’08.

Lynn Anderson

Active in the field of recreation, inclusion, and therapeutic for more than 35 years, Anderson has worked in both outdoor recreation and therapeutic recreation settings and has conducted extensive research on inclusion and other areas in therapeutic recreation, including strengths-based practice.

She helped create a user-friendly database of inclusive New York state recreational facilities.

As a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor selected by the SUNY Board of Trustees, Anderson has been honored and recognized for her extraordinary service not only at the campus and within SUNY, but also at the community, regional, state and national levels.

A highly successful grant writer, Anderson has obtained more than $700,000 in external funding, including an ongoing multi-year grant from the New York State Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities. The grant was used to establish a statewide inclusive recreation resource center that is housed at SUNY Cortland. The mission of the center is to identify Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant parks and recreational sites throughout New York with the goal of ultimately providing outdoor recreation opportunities for all state residents.

Anderson, who has served the College since 1998 and was promoted to professor in 2002, has served on the New York State Therapeutic Recreation Association State Licensure Committee. She has collaborated with the New York State Recreation and Park Society and the National Recreation and Park Association National Certification Board to ensure student access to the national exam to become a certified park and recreation professional. Through her grant work, Anderson also has collaborated with the I Love New York Tourism Division and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. She has participated in Park Ranger Training Workshops in New York state.

In addition, more than 1,400 outdoor recreation practitioners nationwide have been trained in ways to enhance the quality of life for individuals with all types of disabilities through “Inclusion U” an innovative program established by Anderson through ongoing funding from the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

She was recognized for her superior teaching with the 2003 Teaching Award at SUNY Cortland for Incorporation of Service Learning and with the 1998 McDermott Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award at the University of North Dakota. She has been listed in the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

She volunteers frequently at sustainability events and has spearheaded the Community Bike Program on campus, which provides free use of bicycles to students, faculty and staff on campus.

Anderson earned her Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of North Dakota; her Master of Science in Recreation and Park Management from University of Oregon; and her Ph.D. in education with emphasis in therapeutic recreation from University of Minnesota.