Linda L. Caldwell

Linda L. Caldwell received her B.S. from Penn State, her M.S. from North Carolina State University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

She holds the rank of Distinguished Professor Emerita at The Pennsylvania State University. Linda also serves as an “extraordinary professor” at both the University of the Western Cape (Community and Health Sciences) and North West University (Research Focus Area Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation), both in South Africa.

She also serves as a guest professor at the University of Iceland (Leisure Studies Program) through 2018.

Linda’s research focuses primarily on leisure interventions and programs that develop youth competencies, promote healthy lifestyles, and reduce risky behavior.

She is the co-developer of two interventions that focus on preventing adolescent risk behavior through the positive use of free time: TimeWise: Taking Charge of Leisure Time and HealthWise South Africa: Life Skills for Young Adults.

Her primary funding came from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

She is a co-editor of Recreation and Youth Development with Dr. Peter Witt, which is undergoing a second edition and will be titled Youth Development Principles and Practices in Out-of-School Time Settings.

Linda very much enjoys working in international contexts with colleagues to promote healthy leisure for children and youth.

Linda is past-president of the Academy of Leisure Sciences, and served as an elected member of the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration until her retirement.

Awards include the National Recreation and Park Association Franklin D. and Theodore Roosevelt Excellence in Recreation and Park Research Award (2007), the Society for Prevention Research International Collaborative Prevention Science Award (2007), Penn State College of Health and Human Development Leadership in Outreach Award (2009), and the North Carolina State University Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Outstanding Alumnus Award (2011-12).

She served as Penn State’s NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative from 2010 to 2017.

In her leisure time Linda loves traveling, photography, gardening, cooking, being in nature (especially scuba diving, hiking and camping), and spending time with her family.

Expertise: Youth development through leisure, leisure education, prevention, healthy leisure

Email: lindac@psu.edu