Research Labs and Initiatives | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

Travel and Tourism research group

Blue-footed booby and crab on rock in foreground. Raft full of people on water in the background.

The Travel and Tourism research group strives to advance interdisciplinary knowledge on tourism marketing, planning, management, and education to address today's global challenges.

Tourism contributes to 10% of global GDP and supports one in ten jobs. It also benefits personal growth and wellbeing through interacting with diverse cultures and landscapes.

Golf Teaching and Research Center (GTRC)

Man in a laboratory wears motion trackers to map his golf swing as researchers look on

The Golf Teaching and Research Center (GTRC) is a unique teaching and research venture that leads University instruction and research related to the sport and industry of golf.

Using innovative technology and the latest advancements in biomechanics, movement science, and other fields, we provide instruction to students and offer services to golfers and golf coaches.

Community Health and Well-Being research group

The Community Health and Well-Being research group is committed to scientific and community-engaged scholarship that promotes equitable access to leisure and enjoyment of park and recreation services.

Our work occurs in neighborhoods, camps, schools, homes, and in sport, recreation, and leisure venues. We use developmental, ecological, and social justice approaches to understand the causes and solutions to societal issues related to community health and well-being.

Kurt Hahn Consortium for Values and Experiential Learning

A tent pitched by a clear river with people attending to scientific equipment

The Kurt Hahn Consortium for Values and Experiential Learning connects research, practice, and policy on all aspects of Kurt Hahn’s legacy.

Hahn was a politician and education reformer who was concerned with human development – through developing compassion, perseverance and an ethic of service in individuals and communities. He believed that education should include physical activity, service, skill development, and expedition.

Outdoor Recreation, Protected Area, and Environmental Education research group

The Outdoor Recreation, Protected Area, and Environmental Education research group conducts research in the interest of improving the social and environmental outcomes of parks and protected areas.

Our members have extensive experience carrying out this work in wide-ranging settings that span West Fairmount Park in urban Philadelphia to the glaciers of Denali National Park in Alaska and from Greenland to the Galapagos.