Keynotes & Plenary

Bannon Lecture Keynote: Rep. Chris Rab

Our opening Bannon Lecture keynote presentation will feature Representative Chris Rabb of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Rep. Rabb will deliver a keynote presentation and present thoughtful conversation focused on the power of state-level research and avenues for communicating our work to policymakers.

Rep. Rabb has served in the PA house since 2017 and is currently a member of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Commerce, Finance, and Judiciary subcommittees, and as well, has been engaged heavily in discussion and debate ranging from book bans to greenwashing to democratizing the economy. Prior to joining the House, Rep. Rabb was a writer, consultant, and thought leader on the intersection of entrepreneurship, media, civic engagement and social identity. He was an adjunct professor at Temple University’s Fox School of Business where he taught social entrepreneurship and organizational innovation. He has served on the national board for the racial justice think tank, Race Forward.

Plenary Talk: Drs. Mary Parr & Bryan McCormick

The Plenary consists of two of our most established scholars in the field, Drs. Mary Parr and Bryan McCormick, who will discuss how we communicate who we are and what we do to bridge areas within and across our discipline. Reflecting on their career, pedagogy, and research, they will share with the audience how they view the evolution of higher education and what that means for the leisure field.

Closing Keynote Panel

Our closing keynote session will be a panel discussion includes program officers from the National Science Foundation, the Pincus Family Foundation, and the William Penn Foundation, who will provide insight for effectively communicating our work to funding agencies. Of special note, the program officers will not be focused solely on research projects but will also highlight opportunities for teaching and service-learning proposals.