Nate Trauntvein

Nate Trauntvein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science at Utah State University, where he serves as the Recreation Administration Program Director and a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. His career bridges academic scholarship with applied management research in recreation and tourism.

• PhD, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management (Youth and Family Education), Pennsylvania State University, 2011
• MS, Leisure Studies, Pennsylvania State University, 2007
• BS, Parks and Recreation (History, Spanish), Utah State University, 2003

His research focuses on volunteerism, constraints to recreation participation, recreation needs assessments, and corporate sponsorship dynamics in public recreation. He employs mixed-method approaches, including structural equation modeling and qualitative analysis, often collaborating with agencies like Pennsylvania State Parks, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and National Ski Patrol.

Recent publications highlight trends in environmental citizenship, GIS-based survey validation, and multi-sector recreation partnerships. Key awards include the ETE Teaching Scholar Certificate (2020). He has mentored graduate students such as Drake Langley and Myles Lynch, while teaching courses like Leisure and Human Behavior and Management of Recreation Services.