School of Health Promotion & Human Performance

Education

• Ph.D., Texas A&M University
• MA, California State University, Chico
• BS, Ohio State University

Biography

Jerry L. Ricciardo has been a faculty member in the Recreation and Park Management program at EMU since 1988. He was formerly employed by the US Forest Service both as a Forest Technician and as a Forester. Ricciardo has also been employed in the states of Alaska, Washington, Idaho and California in insect and disease control, fire control, recreation, timber stand improvement, timber cruising, timber marking and silviculture. He served as coordinator of the Park and Recreation Management program at EMU.

Ricciardo served in the US Military from 1965–1968. One year tour of duty in Vietnam.

Ricciardo teaches coursework in the history and philosophy of leisure and recreation, site maintenance and rehabilitation, history and development of the field of outdoor recreation, tools outdoor recreation resource managers use to manage outdoor recreation areas, low impact camping, backpacking, backcountry first aid, trail planning, design, construction and maintenance, site analysis and design and strategic planning for park and recreation organizations.

Dr. Ricciardo presents research and publishes in the area of leisure. Recent research topics have been: leisure resourcefulness as a predictor of level of affluence and life satisfaction; leisure resourcefulness and recreation specialization on life satisfaction among the elderly; leisure resourcefulness and recreation specialization among the elderly; variables distinguishing accredited from nonaccredited recreation, park and leisure programs in the U.S.; ethnic input in leisure services provision among Michigan park and recreation departments; grants usage in obtaining funding for recreation services and capital improvement projects among park and recreation agencies in Michigan; training programs in trail planning, design and construction; volunteer management in trail maintenance.

Publications

• Leisure resourcefulness as a predictor of level of affluence and life satisfaction: having more or doing with less
• The influence of leisure resourcefulness and recreation specialization on life satisfaction among a sample of senior adults
• An examination of variables distinguishing accredited from nonaccredited recreation, park resources and leisure services programs
• Changing Ethnic Populations in the State of Michigan: Ethnic Input in Leisure Services Provision among Michigan Park Recreation Departments
• The Relationships among Leisure Resourcefulness and Recreation Specialization, among a Sample of Senior Adults
• Extensity and intensity of grants usage in obtaining funding for recreation services and capital improvement projects among park and recreation agencies in the State of Michigan

Courses

• Introduction to recreation and leisure
• Backcountry first aid
• Backpacking
• Camping
• Park maintenance 
• Outdoor recreation
• Park planning and design
• Park management