Brandon Harris is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies Department at the University of Arizona. His previous teaching experience in higher education has included several courses in parks and recreation management, finance, sports marketing, and program design. In the classroom, Brandon uses an approach built on experience facilitation where learning is co-constructed and the classroom a space for idea generation and dissemination. In using this approach, Brandon seeks to increase awareness of existing social and environmental equity issues and empower students to use their creativity and critical thinking abilities to addresses these concerns.
Brandon received his PhD from Clemson University’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Department. Brandon also holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Sports Marketing and Management and a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.
Brandon’s professional experience includes working in marketing and management in several large organizations across a variety of industries, including parks and recreation. In his past, Brandon has had the opportunity to work for The Chicago Bears, Bank of America, Trader Joes, and The Chicago Park District, where he served as the intern for the General Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer at The Chicago Park District. During his graduate program, Brandon also had the opportunity to work with park and recreation agencies and city governments across South Carolina and Georgia in designing strategic plans for park and recreation programs and facilities.
Brandon’s areas of focus include the influence of green amenities on the physical and social environments in urban communities, environmental justice issues related to “green” gentrification, the impact of neighborhood stigma on communities of color, and how parks and leisure activities connect youth to the communities in which they live. Brandon continues to be active in research and presents regularly at park and recreation conferences.
