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College of Graduate Studies
forgrad@plymouth.edu
Tel: (800) FOR-GRAD or
(603) 535-2636
Fax: (603) 535-2572
Plymouth State University
MSC 11
17 High Street
Plymouth, NH 03264-1595
forgrad@plymouth.edu
Tel: (800) FOR-GRAD or
(603) 535-2636
Fax: (603) 535-2572
Plymouth State University
MSC 11
17 High Street
Plymouth, NH 03264-1595
Faculty
Ben Amsden
Graduate Adjunct Faculty, Heritage StudiesPartnerships and Grants Coordinator, Center for Rural Partnerships
Office phone number: (603) 535-3274
e-mail: blamsden@plymouth.edu
Administrative contact: Alice Richmond
Administrative contact phone number: (603) 535-3275
Profile
Dr. Ben Amsden is the Partnerships and Grants Coordinator at the PSU Center for Rural Partnerships. He is a rural sociologist with expertise in community/economic development, place attachment, the sustainability of natural resource-based recreation and tourism, and volunteer stewardship. In addition to providing outreach, project development, and project management assistance for PSU faculty and external partners, Ben has taught courses in rural sociology, outdoor recreation, heritage preservation and the rural cultural environment.
Degrees and Education
- PhD in Rural Sociology, Penn State University
- MS in Park, Recreation, and Tourism Resources, Michigan State University
- BS in Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology
Research Interests
Dr. Amsden is interested in the integration of the disciplinary discourses of rural sociology and recreation/leisure studies. Specifically, he studies:- The social, ecological, and community dimensions of place attachment and how they inform public responses to resource management;
- The sustainability of natural resource-based recreation and tourism development, with particular focus on labor markets and economic transition in resource-dependent communities;
- The efficacy of volunteer stewardship programs in natural resource contexts; and
- Public response to, and participation in, cultural/historic preservation and landscape interpretation.
Publications
- Amsden, B.L., Chang, W., Kasul, R., Lee, L., Perales, K., & Propst, D.B. (2008). Economic Impacts from Spending by Marina Slip Renters at Raystown Lake. Vicksburg, MS: Environmental Laboratory, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center. ERDC/EL TR-08-05.
- Amsden, B.L., & Propst, D. B. (2007). Assessing a conceptual framework for managing volunteers within trail organizations. LarNet: The Cyber Journal of Applied Leisure and Recreation Research. larnet.org.
- Stedman, R.C., Amsden, B.L., & Kruger, L. (2006). Sense of place and community: Points of intersection with implications for leisure research. Leisure/Loisir: The Journal of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies, 30(2), 393-404.
