David M. Compton

Dr. Compton is retired yet continuing his research in healthy communities and schools employing dynamic systems modeling. He is former Dean, College of Health, University of Utah, Department Chair at Missouri-Columbia, Department Chair, North Texas State University and Department Chair, Indiana University. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of Utah and Indiana University. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, World Leisure Organization and its Treasurer. He has served as President of National Therapeutic Recreation Association and the National Consortium on Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities. In addition he has served on the Board of Directors of the Society for Park and Recreation Education, and the National Alliance for Accessible Golf. He served as Project Director or Principal Investigator for grants for research and training, including a seminal grant leading to the development of the Leisure Diagnostic Battery.
In 1993 he served as Visiting Scholar in Residence at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia and in 1997 returned to serve as Visiting Scholar in Residence with the Allied Health Professions at the University of Sydney, Australia. He also led a national grant with Gary Robb on social inclusion for people with disabilities from the United States Golf Association, the PGA and PGA Tour. As well, along with Gary Ellis, the Utah Department of Human Resources has contracted with them to develop a long term care decision making model using MAUT. Dr. Compton has served in many capacities for NRPA, including Director of Research, and has published over 50 articles in Therapeutic Recreation Journal, Adaptive Physical Activity Quarterly, Journal of Sports Medicine, Leisure/Loisir and other peer reviewed journals. He has published several books and monographs including Healthy Communities: Repositioning Public Park and Recreation Agencies as Catalysts for Healthy People (with Michael Muehlenbein); Issues in Therapeutic Recreation: A Profession in Transition (First & Second Edition), Leisure and Mental Health (with Seppo Iso-Ahola), and Leisure Counseling (with Judith Goldstein).