Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services congratulates Mary Ann Devine, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Foundations, Leadership, and Administration, who is inducted as a 2021 Fellow in the Academy of Leisure Sciences.
According to the Fellows Committee of the Academy of Leisure Sciences, Devine was voted into and being inducted as a Fellow by the Academy for her line of research that has helped shape the field of leisure studies and shift it in a direction that will have a lasting benefit. Devine was a pioneer in applying social construction theory to give context to barriers experience by people with disabilities in leisure environments. Her research has focused most recently on inclusive leisure from social justice, social capital, and contact theories perspective. These broadened perspectives have deepened knowledge about how best to help all people achieve well-being in their lives, regardless of ability or social categorization. She has sustained a level of research that is remarkable and has disseminated that work consistently and with the highest quality in journals, at research symposia, and professional conferences. Her focus on improving practice through theory has been an important addition to the body of knowledge in our field.
Since 1979, the Academy of Leisure Sciences has annually recognized outstanding accomplishments of researchers, leaders, and educators for their achievements in scholarship, service and teaching. The central purpose of the Academy is the intellectual advancement of leisure sciences. This year’s Fellows committee members are: Monica Stodolska, University of Illinois, Scott Schafer, Texas A & M, and Kelly Bricker, University of Utah.