Primary Team Members
Dr. Michael D. Ferguson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation Management and Policy at the University of New Hampshire and the founder of the Applied Recreation Research Collaborative (ARRC) lab. His social science research expertise focuses on visitor use management, carrying capacity, managed access, visitor education, ecological impacts, energy development, and climate change in parks and protected areas settings. He collaborates with land managers, elected officials, and the outdoor industry to simultaneously provide: 1) high-quality visitor experiences, 2) protect natural and cultural resources, and 3) enhance economic opportunities in and around parks and protected areas. Funders include the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sea Grant, State Parks and Forests, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and other federal, state, local, and private recreation organizations.
Michael D. Ferguson, Ph.D.
Professor Matthew Frye is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation Management and Policy at the University of New Hampshire. His social science research expertise focuses on community needs assessments research, recreation program and facility evaluation research, and economic impact and workforce assessment research. His work and research are centered around the therapeutic use of recreation for youth, increasing opportunities for persons with disabilities in public parks and recreation programs, and community recreation integration amongst historically marginalized populations. Funders include the USDA Forest Service, State Parks, municipal towns and boroughs, and other federal, state, local, and private recreation organizations.
Matthew S. Frye, M.S., CTRS/L
Affiliated Team Members
Lauren A. Ferguson, Ph.D.
Dr. Lauren A. Ferguson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation Management and Policy at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Ferguson’s work, broadly speaking, focuses on outdoor recreation behavior and the social aspects of natural resource management. Over the past several years she has evolved her research program into one that is both applied and interdisciplinary and she has managed a multitude of high-quality research projects. Evidence from her research has been conveyed in technical management reports, research presentations, and refereed journal articles. Most recently, Dr. Ferguson served as a project manager for a visitor use related study at Denali National Park and Preserve, where innovative and complex methods were used to inform visitors thresholds for experience quality. She has experience managing research, developing surveys, creating sampling designs, report writing, and working with local, state, and federal natural resource management agencies.