Justin Harmon

BRIEF BIO

Justin Harmon, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation. He holds a B.S. in Leisure Studies from the University of Illinois, an M.S. in Sport Management from Northern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in Community Development. Harmon has worked extensively in the parks, forestry, and recreation fields, and has a diverse background in practice that includes land and wildlife management, environmental and recreation education, event management, and community relations and outreach.

He has explored community as an area of research in numerous regions and contexts. His primary research lines focus on health and aging broadly, and specifically in regard to the use of leisure for coping and identity maintenance for people with serious and terminal diseases, and the use of music for affecting quality of life and life course development. His research can be found in the journals Annals of Leisure Research, Journal of Leisure Research, Leisure/Loisir, Leisure Sciences, Leisure Studies, and World Leisure Journal, to name a few. Harmon is also currently a Co-Editor for the journal Leisure Sciences.

When not in the classroom he can be found in the backyard or forest with his dog, at a concert, buried in a book, or planning his next trip out West.