Paul Stonehouse

Biography

Dr. Stonehouse serves as an Assistant Professor to both the Parks and Recreation Management (B.S.) and Experiential and Outdoor Education (M.S.) programs. Drawn to the outdoors from a young age, he has found wild spaces, both local and remote, to be “sanctuaries of reorientation.” He delights in sharing these wild and liminal spaces with his students through travel by foot, ski, and canoe.<br><br>Identifying as an Outdoor and Environmental Educator, Paul celebrates the breadth of the Parks and Recreation curricula, noting that in few majors can one simultaneously address physical health, intra/interpersonal authenticity, environmental awareness, existential purpose, and ethical formation.<br><br>Much of his own formation has come through extended time in the wilderness, literally years of his life spent sleeping beneath the stars. However, with degrees in the humanities and sciences, not all of his time has been spent outdoors! Paul’s research interests, adventures of a different sort, lie in the relationship of moral philosophy and theology to outdoor experience. These interests culminated in a PhD in Outdoor Education from the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, where he examined character formation on wilderness expeditions from a virtue ethical perspective.<br><br>Dr. Stonehouse’s passion to integrate the intellectual life with the outdoor life has allowed him to develop a variety of skills. He has certifications, coursework, and experience in many specialties, including canoeing, Nordic skiing, mountaineering, rock climbing, long-distance hiking, Leave No Trace, and wilderness medicine instruction.

Education

• Ph D, University of Edinburgh, Outdoor Education

Teaching Interests

Paul delights in a mixture of classroom and field-based courses, ranging in content from environmental philosophy to backcountry baking. His classes emphasize moral reflection and issues related to justice and education for sustainability.

Research Interests

Dr. Stonehouse's recent scholarship has focused on how Outdoor Education curricula might be used to address our current socio-ecological crises, and inspire students to transition towards socially/environmentally sustainable ways of living.

Curriculum Vitae