As assistant director for the School of Kinesiology and Recreation, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), and a professor with a career spanning more than 30 years, one could say that Barbara Schlatter has achieved more than most. But she’s not finished yet.
Professor Schlatter brought her love of service to the School of Kinesiology and Recreation (KNR). She worked with the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development to bring the interdisciplinary Applied Community and Economic Development (ACED) subplan to KNR graduate students this year.
“The Stevenson Center has allowed me to tie my passion for the Peace Corps together with our School of Kinesiology and Recreation master’s program,” said Schlatter. “Through the creation of the KNR ACED subplan, students who are passionate about social change through service can take their careers to the next level in the field of recreation, parks, and tourism.”
Graduate students Lauren Troxtel and John Thornburg, the KNR ACED subplan’s first two Fellows, will pave the way for future students interested in bringing their desire for social change to the realms of kinesiology and recreation. Troxtel is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) with over two years of field experience in Ethiopia where she led young women in developmental leadership programs. Thornburg, an AmeriCorps alum, served in Waco, Texas, as well as St. Louis, Missouri, where he provided emergency recovery assistance and conservation efforts across Missouri and Montana.
“The Stevenson Center has a long tradition of preparing students for careers in community and economic development fields, such as KNR,” Schlatter noted about the Stevenson Center. “Their staff is unmatched in terms of mentorship, academic integrity, and success among their graduates. We strive to emulate their model approach with our students in the new KNR ACED subplan.”
Schlatter’s partnership with the Stevenson Center comes after her extensive experience with the Peace Corps..
In addition to her previous service endeavors, Dr. Schlatter’s stepson Craig Schlatter, a 2007 ACED Fellow graduate in applied economics, inspired her to develop a program for students in her area of expertise, giving the Stevenson Center the opportunity to expand an already stellar program.
“My colleague Brent Beggs and I worked together on the curricular proposal for the KNR ACED subplan last year, and it is very satisfying and exciting to have Lauren Troxtel and John Thornburg enrolled as the first students in this program!”
Article by Stevenson Center public relations intern Brad Johnson
