Susan L. Montgomery, M.S., CTRS

Education

B.S., Art, University of Montevallo, 1990
M.S., Recreation, Hospitality, and Tourism, University of Tennessee, 1998
Coursework in Leisure Studies, University of Georgia, 2010-2011

Teaching Philosophy

My goal for teaching therapeutic recreation and leisure studies is to help students to gain an understanding of concepts so they are able to apply knowledge to real world, practical settings. To accomplish this, I challenge students to continuously experience and question the world around them by providing practical examples and opportunities for learning.

My hope is that our students learn to develop their own work/life balance, as they prepare to enter into service to others working in both the fields of therapeutic recreation and recreation. One of my favorite quotes by Plato is: “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

Research

My research interests include: adaptive kayaking, recreation and leisure post brain injury and utilization of fly fishing as a therapeutic activity for women with cancer.

Outreach

Service is an essential component in the field of Therapeutic Recreation. Recognizing this, I regularly facilitate service learning opportunities for our students with the Alabama Head Injury Foundation's Mobile, AL Support Group, the PASSAGE USA program on campus, and other local agencies/community partners. Within USA, I serve as a faculty co-sponsor for the student Recreational Therapy Association and on several departmental & college level committees. I maintain membership in the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) and serve as an invited manuscript reviewer. I also serve on the planning committee for the Gulf Coast Recreational Therapy Symposium (GCRTS), which is co-sponsored by the University of South Alabama and The University of Southern Mississippi. 

Biography

Before I started teaching at USA, I served as the Director of Recreation for the Alabama Head Injury Foundation where I developed ten social/recreation day programs and two annual camp programs for adults with traumatic brain injuries. I also worked at Shepherd Center/Shepherd Pathways as a recreation therapist serving adolescents and adults with traumatic brain injuries. My favorite leisure pastimes are: spending time with my bulldog, fly fishing/fly tying, camping, and traveling.

Courses

LS 191 - Introduction to Leisure Studies
RTH 292 - Outdoor Recreation and Adventure
RTH 295 - Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation
RTH 298 - Practicum in Therapeutic Recreation
RTH 495 - Internship in Therapeutic Recreation
KIN 494 - Directed Studies
RTH 468 - Facilitation Techniques in Therapeutic Recreation
PSG 090 - Passage USA Special Topics - Outdoor Recreation & Adventure
PSG 090 - Passage USA Special Topics - Intro to Therapeutic Recreation
PSG 090 - Passage USA Special Topics - Practicum in Therapeutic Recreation