Heather Gibson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Ph.D. in sport, leisure and exercise science, University of Connecticut (1994)
M.A. in sport and leisure studies, University of Connecticut (1989)
B.Ed. in physical education, Brighton Polytechnic (1985)
Curriculum Vitae

Biography:

Dr Heather Gibson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management at the University of Florida and an Associate Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute. People often ask “does Heather specialize in tourism, sport or leisure”? The answer is all three.

She graduated from Brighton Polytechnic in the UK with a Bachelor’s in physical education and a specialization in sport sociology. This focus on the sociology of sport and leisure led her to the University of Connecticut where she earned her Master’s and PhD. and was introduced to tourism as a field of study.  Currently, Dr Gibson teaches classes in leisure theory, tourism and research methods. She also leads study abroad programs to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. She was selected as the Distinguished International Educator for her college in 2004 and 2010. Her research interests include leisure and tourism in later life; women travelers; sport tourism with a particular focus on sport-related travel in later life and small-scale events; and perceived risk in travel.

Dr Gibson has published over 45 peer reviewed articles in scholarly journals and she edited the top selling book Sport Tourism: Concepts and Theories. Currently, she is an Associate Editor for Leisure Sciences, Regional Editor for North America for Leisure Studies, and an editorial board member for the Journal of Sport Management, the Journal of Sport and Tourism, and World Leisure Journal. She is an ad hoc reviewer for countless journals including the Journal of Leisure Research, the Annals of Tourism Research and Tourism Management

Research Interests:

• • Active sport tourism participation in mid and later life – senior games and Bike Florida
• • The effects of event sport tourism on the community
• • The leisure, health and well being in later- life women.
• • Resistance and empowerment of women through solo travel.
• • Tourist roles (behavior) during the lifespan with a focus on gender, motivation, risk and thrill seeking.

Classes:
LEI 3830 Principles of Travel and Tourism
LEI 4880 Evaluation in Leisure Services
LEI 5188 Trends in Leisure Studies
LEI 6838 Sport Tourism
LEI 6895 Tourism Concepts and Theories
LEI 7163 Foundations of Leisure Behavior