Our industries are rooted in deep professional networks, first-class service and access to opportunities. So are we, the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) at Temple University. STHM is the largest provider of tourism, hospitality, sport and recreation management education in the Philadelphia region and an international model for innovative teaching and research. Through classroom instruction, experiential learning and executive education, we prepare talented professionals and scholars for rewarding careers.
Temple University began its long and distinguished record of professional preparation in the fields of recreation, sport, tourism and hospitality in 1908, when courses were offered in playground supervision through its Physical Education program. By the 1950s, Temple was offering programs in recreation education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In 1973, a curriculum in Recreation and Leisure Studies was established. The bachelor's degree in Sport and Recreation Management was first accredited in 1978 by the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions (COAPRT). As a result, Temple University was one of the first to have its programs accredited through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).
STHM is ideally located in Philadelphia, one of the nation's largest cities and a living laboratory for the sport, recreation, tourism and hospitality industries. As a premier destination for visitors from around the world, Philadelphia is home to 14,000 Center City hotel rooms; more than 6,000 restaurants; a thriving and growing casino and gaming scene; the Pennsylvania Convention Center; and countless attractions such as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the National Constitution Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Philadelphia Zoo. The city provides innumerable opportunities for applied learning with access to all five major sports through the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, Sixers, and Union, as well as a host of major national and international sporting events such as the Army-Navy game, March Madness basketball, U.S. Olympic trials, and the X-Games. Philadelphia also has one of the country’s most active parks and recreation departments and the world’s largest urban park in Fairmount Park.
The mission of STHM is to:
- enrich the tourism, hospitality, recreation and sport industries by fostering diversity and inclusion;
- meet the leadership needs of the tourism, hospitality, recreation and sport industries by providing quality, student-centered, professional preparation programs;
- advance knowledge in tourism, hospitality, recreation and sport by conducting high-level research;
- enhance the tourism, hospitality, recreation and sport management professions by offering quality service to relevant organizations; and
- educate the Temple University community about the significance of tourism, hospitality, recreation and sport in today’s multicultural society by offering courses in general education, collaborating with other faculty on joint research projects, and serving on relevant committees.
Graduate Faculty
Bradley J. Baker, Assistant Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, Temple University.
Daniel C. Funk, Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, The Ohio State University.
Gareth J. Jones, Associate Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, North Carolina State University.
R. Aubrey Kent, Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, The Ohio State University.
Thilo Kunkel, Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, Griffith University.
Lindsey Lee, Assistant Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, University of Houston.
Xiang Li, Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, Texas A and M University.
Lu Lu, Associate Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, University of Washington.
Joseph Mahan III, Professor of Instruction, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, University of Maryland College Park.
Chihyung Michael Ok, Associate Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, Kansas State University.
Wesley S. Roehl, Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, Texas A and M University.
Elizabeth Taylor, Associate Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, University of Tennessee.
Luorong Wu, Associate Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, The Pennsylvania State University.
Yang Yang, Professor, Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management; PhD, University of Florida.