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Kent Blumenthal Elected to Senior Fellow Status in American Leisure Academy

From left, Dr. Gerald S. Fain, Special Education, Boston University, newly elected ALA president, Kent Blumenthal, Dr. Gaylene Carpenter, Program Director, Arts & Administration, University of Oregon, ALA past president. Photo courtesy of Vicki Highstreet, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

On April 13, 2005, NIRSA Executive Director Kent J. Blumenthal, Ph.D., CAE, CRSS, was inducted as a Senior Fellow of the American Leisure Academy (ALA) at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Conference in Chicago. Nominated by new ALA president, Dr. Gerald S. Fain of Boston University, Kent's induction was approved by the ALA membership, which is capped at fifty members.

The purposes of the ALA are: "to advance knowledge related to leisure and leisure services delivery systems, to serve as a forum for networking and exchange of ideas related to leisure, and to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of professional educators, practitioners, and others credited with advancing leisure and recreation concepts and ideas."

In his nomination, Dr. Fain noted that "Kent has helped to broaden NIRSA's research capacities by building partnerships between NIRSA and other organizations including The Ohio State University's National Research Institute for Recreational Sports, Human Kinetics, Inc., and by his contributions to the Recreational Sports Journal.... Dr. Blumenthal's impressive record of career accomplishments makes him well qualified for membership as a Fellow in the American Leisure Academy. He has a sustained record of scholarship and is long recognized for his executive leadership on behalf of the profession."