Member Biography


Dr. Robert Barcelona

Dr. Bob Barcelona, CPRP is the Department Chair/Head and Professor in Clemson University’s Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Management.? Dr. Barcelona’s research and professional interests focus broadly on increasing access to sport and recreation programs and facilities, and on improving the quality of recreation programs and services through partnerships, planning, creative financing, staff training, and professional development.?He is specifically interested in research that relates to access and constraints to public recreation opportunities and investigating the benefits of active recreation participationDr. Barcelona has worked with federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Education on various research and program evaluation efforts, and he has partnered with state agencies such as the SC Department of Agriculture, SC Department of Juvenile Justice, and the NH Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DNCR) on various projects.  Dr. Barcelona provides leadership for Clemson’s Community Planning and Research Collaborative (CPARC) where he works with faculty and graduate students in conducting community engaged research with parks and recreation agencies throughout the country. Prior to working at Clemson, Dr. Barcelona served as Chair in the Department of Recreation Management and Policy at the University of New Hampshire, held an appointment as a faculty member at Indiana University, and worked in collegiate athletics and recreational sports at the University of Mississippi and the University of California-Berkeley.