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.
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.
