معرفی
Carol Smith is a Professor in the Department of Education and Wellness at Elon University's Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, where she has served for 26 years as of the 2024-2025 academic year. She serves as Program Coordinator for the Outdoor Leadership & Education major and Adventure Based Learning minor, while teaching courses in outdoor experiential learning, study abroad programs in New Zealand, and Olympic Games studies. Her leadership roles include Interim Department Chair (2022), Graduate Council Chair (2022-2023), and extensive committee service across Elon University.
Educational Background:
- Ph.D. in Kinesiology/Outdoor Experiential Education, Texas A&M University
- M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction in Special Education, Black Hills State University
- M.Ed. in Health & Physical Education, Frostburg State University
- B.S. in Physical Education Teacher Education, University of Massachusetts/Amherst
Dr. Smith's research focuses on mental health impacts of outdoor adventure programs, particularly examining locus of control, anxiety reduction, and social media effects in university populations. Her work bridges experiential education with wellness outcomes, demonstrated through longitudinal studies on adventure-based learning's impact on grit, sense of place, and self-efficacy. She has pioneered technology-free experiential environments to enhance interpersonal connections and mental concentration, with significant contributions to adventure therapy frameworks for student veterans and athletes.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory toward mental health applications of outdoor education, with increasing focus on clinical interventions since 2016. Her research spans three interconnected domains: (1) psychological mechanisms (locus of control, flow states), (2) educational applications (anti-bullying strategies, cooperative learning models), and (3) wellness outcomes (mental health first aid, social connection enhancement). The New Zealand study abroad program serves as a recurring experimental context for examining adventure-based eco-tourism's therapeutic benefits.
Professional Recognition:
- Recreation Professional of the Year (SHAPE America Southern District, 2017)
- Julian W. Smith Honor Award for Outdoor Education Leadership (2013)
- North Carolina Physical Education Teacher of the Year (2010)
- Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society (2010)
Dr. Smith advises over 20 undergraduate researchers annually through SURF Day projects and senior theses, with students investigating topics from women's body perception in outdoor recreation to nutritional aspects of wilderness experiences. She directs the Adventures in Leadership first-year outdoor orientation program and serves as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Her grant work includes longitudinal studies on adventure programs' impact on student retention and mental health outcomes, often collaborating with Elon's Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.
She maintains active leadership in professional organizations including SHAPE America (Southern District Executive Board 2012-2015) and the National Academy for Health & Physical Literacy, while directing the Elon Challenge Course team that delivers experiential programming for campus and community groups. Current initiatives focus on integrating adventure-based learning with social-emotional development frameworks across the curriculum.
