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Dr. Fred Gibson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor/ RSA Graduate Program Coordinator/FEM Coordinator
Office: Smith Stadium East 1058
Phone: (270) 745-6021
Email: fred.gibson@wku.edu
Courses
REC 426 G – Facility Planning and Design
RSA 513 - Recreation & Sport Administration
RSA 515 - Recreation & Sport Facility Development
RSA 534 - Facility Management
RSA 530 – Advanced Studies
RSA 590 - Practicum
RSA 598 - Master's Project
Research
Research Interest: Facility Planning, Design, Construction, and Management in Recreation and Sport
Selected Publications:
Gibson, F., Smith, D., Upright, P., Larson, B. & Teague, T. (2011 August/September). Geared Up for SAFETY at Kentucky Speedway. Facility Manager, Journal of the International Association of Venue Managers. *
Upright, P., Smith, D., Larson, B. & Gibson, F. (2011). NASCAR and the Examination of the Impact of Fan Spending on Sparta Kentucky: A Predictive Study," International Journal of Motorsport Management: 1(1), Article 3. Available at: http://scholar.wssu.edu/ijmm/vol1/iss1/3.
Navalta, J., Lyons, T., & Gibson, F. (2008). Student Reflections on a Study Abroad Course to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. International Journal of Exercise Science, 1(4),1-4. *
Poff, R., Stenger-Ramsey, T., Gibson, F. (2008). In Gregor Kay, et al (Ed.), Looking at outdoor recreation: A content analysis of AORE conference papers. (pp. 122-126). Whitmore Lake, MI: Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education. *
Larson, B., Gibson, F., Poff, R. (2008). 2008-2009 Kentucky Recreation & Park Services Study Executive Summary with Select Data. In 2008 Kentucky SCORP. Kentucky Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Available at http://dlg.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E68749F1-5E10-4518-B95A-9E3C5C60FEBE/0/SCORPFinal.pdf
Gibson, F., Lloyd, J., Bain, S., & Hottell, D. (2007). Green design and sustainability in recreation and sport facilities. Sport Management and Related Topics Journal, 4(2), 26-33. *
Selected Presentations:
Larson, B., Upright, P., Smith, D., Hey, W., & Gibson, F. (2012). Assessing Economic Impact of a New Mid-Major FBS Program on a Local Community. Southern District AAHPERD Annual Convention, Orlando, FL. *
Teague, T., Gibson, F., Smith, D., Larson, B., and Upright, P. (2011). Creating an effective motorsports management program for undergraduates. 19th Conference of the European Association for Sport Management, Madrid, Spain. *
Larson, B., Upright, P., Smith, D., Gibson, F., & Teague, T. (2011). Methodologies used to assess the economic impact of NASCAR events. 19th Conference of the European Association for Sport Management, Madrid, Spain. *
Smith, D., Gibson, F., Upright, P., Larson, B., & Teague, T. (2011). Creation of an online masters program in conjunction with a professional organization. 19th Conference of the European Association for Sport Management, Madrid, Spain. *
Upright, P., Smith, D., Larson, B., Gibson, F. & Teague, T. (2011). Effective administration and instruction in an online graduate program, 19th Conference of the European Association for Sport Management, Madrid, Spain. *
Gibson, F., Sutton, A., Stinnett, B., Hey, W., Larson, B., Upright, P. & Smith, D. (2011). Retro Green: Sustainable Initiatives for Facility Renovations in Higher Education, 9th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI. *
Gibson, F., Lyons, T., Navalta, J., Maloney, R., Oregon, E., Larson, B., Hey, W., Smith, D., & Upright, P. (2011). Conducting a Comprehensive Study Abroad Course: The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, 9th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI. *
Upright, P., Larson, B., Gibson, F. & Smith, D. (2011). NCAA classifications: The importance of division I football in higher education. Southern District AAHPERD Annual Convention, Greensboro, NC. *
Stenger-Ramsey, T., Bartlett, L., Gibson, F., Poff, R.. (2008, November). Building a challenge course? The important role of partnerships. Presented at Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, San Diego, CA.
Gibson, F., Powell, S., & Stinnett, B. (2007). A descriptive analysis of recreational sports facilities at NIRSA colleges and universities, 9th Annual Florida State University Sport Management Conference, Tallahassee, FL, September 13-14.
Bio
Education:
Ph.D. University of Louisville
Dissertation: Shared facilities: Characteristics of recreational sports facilities at colleges and universities.
M.S. Middle Tennessee State University
B.S. Southern Illinois University
Professional Background:
- Facility and event management experience in recreation and athletic programs at three major universities
- Contracted employee at numerous sporting events including national championships for track and field, swimming, wrestling, and weightlifting
- Conducted year around and championship sports drug testing for NCAA, NFL, NBA, and NCAA athletes
- Managed game day operations WKU Athletics, Sunbelt Conference, and Kentucky High School Athletic Association
- Instructor at the United States Olympic Committee’s (USOC) Sport Management Seminar in Colorado Springs, CO
- Led 40 students, faculty, and staff on a study abroad trip to China for two weeks as the guests of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games (BOCOG)
Certifications:
- Certified Recreational Sports Specialist
- Certified Pool & Spa Operator
- Certified Collegiate and Professional Sports Drug Testing Crew Chief
