Anja Whittington

Anja Whittington is a Collegiate Associate Professor at Virginia Tech's Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, within the College of Natural Resources and Environment. She holds a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire (1997), an M.S. and Ed.D. from the University of Maine (2001, 2005). Her research focuses on outdoor/adventure education, inclusion in the outdoors, social science, and girls’/women’s experiences in outdoor settings. She has published extensively on topics such as resilience development in girls through camp experiences, impacts of adventure programming, and career trajectories in outdoor fields.

Her work emphasizes inclusive practices in recreation, long-term benefits of outdoor participation, and challenges faced by women in field science. Notable contributions include studies on college readiness skills cultivated in camp environments and gender dynamics in outdoor programs. Whittington holds certifications including Certified Outdoor Educator (Wilderness Education Association), EMT (Virginia), and Master Leave No Trace Educator.

Her research spans qualitative and quantitative analyses of youth development, career choices influenced by outdoor experiences, and the role of all-female camps in fostering resilience and confidence. She has presented at conferences such as the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors and the American Camp Association, focusing on topics like long-distance hikers’ motivations and gender differences in outdoor participation.