Amy R. Hurd, Ph.D., CPRE is the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Education and a professor in the School of Kinesiology & Recreation. For 13 years she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the area of recreation administration with an emphasis in marketing, human resources, leadership, and finance and then moved into the administration side of higher education where Dr. Hurd served as the Director of Graduate Studies for five years and obtaining her current position in 2019. Dr. Hurd taught at Srinakharinwirot University (Bangkok Thailand) in Sustainable Tourism as a visiting scholar,
Prior to coming to Illinois State, Amy was at Indiana University where she completed her Ph.D. in Leisure Behavior, as well as serving as a Visiting Lecturer. During her practitioner years, Dr. Hurd was the Special Events Coordinator and later the Marketing Director at the Champaign Park District in Illinois.
Her professional and research interests are in the area of competency development, succession planning, and management issues in public parks and recreation. Dr. Hurd has co-authored the CPRP Study Guide (2nd-5th ed.), book chapters on succession planning and human resources, and three textbooks including: Leisure Services Management (1st & 2nd ed.), Kraus’ Recreation and Leisure in Modern Society (7th-12th ed.), and the Park and Recreation Professionals’ Handbook. In 2009 Amy was elected to the American Leisure Academy and appointed to the CPRP and CPRE Exam Item Writing Committees for NRPA. She has served NRPA as a member of the American Park and Recreation Society Board of Directors and chaired numerous board committees including publications and awards.
Management, leadership, and human resources in public, nonprofit, and commercial recreation; research methods in Kinesiology and Recreation.
Employee competencies, succession planning, leadership, and staff development.