Gregory Benton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Recreation
Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance
308Q HPER
Phone: (479) 575-4110
FAX: (479) 575-5778
gbenton@uark.edu
Degrees:
Ph.D., Indiana University, Leisure Behavior, 2007
M.S., Indiana University, Recreation, 2002
B.A., University of California – Santa Barbara, Environmental Studies, 1986
Teaching Areas:
Outdoor RecreationRecreation
Leisure
Research Interests:
Heritage Interpretation
Cultural and Natural Resource Management
Social Benefits of Recreation
Professional Biography:
Dr. Benton received his undergraduate degree at the University of California – Santa Barbara in Environmental Studies. He spent the next several years working with a variety of agencies and organizations in recreation and conservation including the Seattle Conservation Corps, USDA Forest Service in Colorado, and the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation in Colorado. He served two years as a seasonal Law Enforcement Park Ranger at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah from 1997-1998. He then completed a one-year program in Moab, Utah, in the Canyonlands Field Institute’s Graduate Residency in Environmental Education (GREE) program through Utah State University.
Dr. Benton received his master’s degree in Recreation (Outdoor and Environmental Education/Interpretation) at Indiana University in Bloomington. While there, he completed the Secondary Earth Science Teacher Education program. A multiple-park research study with the National Park Service led to his completion of the doctorate in Leisure Behavior at Indiana University. Dr. Benton participates in the service area of Heritage Interpretation and is one of a handful of people to have served as a certifier of interpretive products and programs with both the National Park Service Interpretive Development Program (IDP) and the National Association for Interpretation (NAI).
Publications/Presentations:
Benton, G. M. (2007). Interpreting respect at two National Park Sites. Legacy 18(5), 22-29.
Farmer, J., Knapp, D., & Benton, G. M. (2007). An elementary environmental education field trip: Long term effects on ecological/environmental knowledge and attitude development. Journal of Environmental Education 38(3), 33-42.
Farmer, J., Knapp, D., & Benton, G. M. (2007). Effects of primary sources and field trip experience on the knowledge retention and impact of multicultural content. Journal of Multicultural Education, 14(3), 27-31.
Knapp, D. H. & Benton, G. M. (2006). Episodic and semantic memories of a residential environmental education program. Environmental Education Research, 12(2), 165-177.
Scherbaum, P. A. (2006). Strengths of techniques: Intellectual appeal. In Handles: A compendium of interpretive techniques to help visitors grasp resource meanings (pp. 28-30). Fort Washington, PA: Eastern National.
Knapp, D. H., & Benton, G. M. (2005). Elements to successful interpretation: A multiple case study. Journal of Interpretation Research, 9(2), 9-25.
Knapp, D. H., & Benton, G. M. (2005). Long-term recollections of an environmental interpretive program. Journal of Interpretation Research, 10(1), 51-53.
Presentations
National Association for Interpretation (NAI), National Conference. Assessment of Four Management Goals in Selected NPS Interpretive Programs. Wichita, KS. November 2007.
International Association for Society & Natural Resources (IASNR), 13th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Assessment of Four Management Goals in Selected NPS Interpretive Programs. Park City, Utah. June 2007.
National Association for Interpretation (NAI), National Interpreter’s Workshop. Analysis of the National Park Services’ Interpretive Development Program: Grand Canyon’s “Glimpses of the Past” Program. Mobile, AL. November 2005.