Dr. Michael Bradley, dean of the Arkansas Tech University Graduate College, presented at the 2026 National Outdoor Recreation Conference May 11–14 in Duluth, Minn.
Organized biennially by the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP), the conference brings together outdoor recreation professionals, researchers, educators, planners and public land managers from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and additional international locations.
Bradley led a featured panel discussion examining the future of higher education and workforce preparation in outdoor recreation. The session explored how colleges and universities are adapting to major shifts affecting the profession, including changing workforce pathways, artificial intelligence, experiential learning, enrollment changes and the evolving needs of outdoor recreation employers and communities.
Joining Bradley on the higher education panel were Melissa Weddell, Will Rice and Kathryn Wrigley. The discussion focused on how outdoor recreation programs can prepare students for increasingly interdisciplinary careers connected to parks, tourism, conservation, public lands, economic development and outdoor industries.
“The outdoor recreation profession is changing rapidly, and higher education programs must continue adapting alongside those changes,” said Bradley. “At the same time, we must preserve the experiential and human-centered learning that has always been central to outdoor recreation education.”
In addition to leading the higher education panel, Bradley was also invited to participate in an additional conference panel focused on the future of state parks systems across North America. Conference organizers invited Bradley to join the discussion because of his expertise in outdoor recreation planning, tourism, public lands and community engagement.
Bradley joined Seth Taft of Wisconsin State Parks, Laura Preus of Minnesota State Parks and Dan Roddy of Arizona State Parks for the state parks panel discussion. Topics included increasing visitation and overcrowding, infrastructure and deferred maintenance challenges, volunteer management, accessibility, economic development and the growing role of state parks in supporting public health and community well-being.
Panelists discussed how state parks systems are balancing conservation, tourism, recreation demand and visitor experience expectations during a period of sustained growth in outdoor recreation participation.
For more information about the conference and the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals, visit https://recpro.org.
