Rate My Professor Robert Burns

Robert Burns holds a Ph.D. in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources (minor in Geography) from The Pennsylvania State University (2000), an M.S. in Public Administration from Central Michigan University (1993), and a B.A. in Criminology (minor in German Language) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1985). His academic career includes service as a U.S. Army commissioned officer (1985-2000, retiring as Major) and non-commissioned officer (1978-1982). He joined West Virginia University in 2004 as Visiting Assistant Professor in the Recreation, Parks & Tourism Resources Program within the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, advancing to Assistant Professor (2005-2009), Associate Professor (2009-2015), Program Chair and Professor (2015-2016), and currently serves as Director of the School of Natural Resources and Professor since 2016, overseeing 60+ faculty/staff, 600+ students, multiple programs, federal partners, centers, and the 7,500-acre WVU Research Forest. Prior roles include Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Center for Tourism Research and Development at the University of Florida (2000-2004) and Instructor/Researcher at Pennsylvania State University (1994-2000).

Burns specializes in outdoor recreation planning, land use planning on public lands, visitor use monitoring in parks and protected areas, crowding and satisfaction in recreation settings, water quality perceptions, whitewater recreation, protected area management, ecotourism, geoparks, and adventure recreation. Key publications include 'Examining the antecedents of destination loyalty in a forest setting' (2007), 'Service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention among forest visitors' (2004), 'Alternate measurement approaches to recreational customer satisfaction: Satisfaction-only versus gap scores' (2003), 'Constraints to outdoor recreation: Exploring the effects of disabilities on perceptions and participation' (2007), and 'Identifying and mapping forest-based ecotourism areas in West Virginia–Incorporating visitors' preferences' (2014). He received the Researcher of the Year award from WVU's Division of Forestry and Natural Resources (2015) and has held editorial roles as Chief Editor of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration and co-editor of 'Outdoor Recreation Planning' (2016). Burns contributes to committees such as the National Association of University Forest Resource Programs (Northeast Region Chair) and international visitor management conferences, with invited presentations on geotourism, visitor monitoring, and student exchanges.