Kelli McMahan, PhD, CTRS

Kelli McMahan, PhD, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation in the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University. She has served on the Baylor faculty since 2010 and teaches in the Recreation and Leisure Services program, with a primary focus on outdoor recreation. She teaches multiple outdoor recreation and leadership courses and coordinates the outdoor leadership emphasis area.

Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. McMahan directed Baylor’s Campus Recreation Outdoor Adventure program from 2001 to 2010. Before her time at Baylor, she worked as a recreation superintendent for the City of Georgetown, Texas, where she founded an outdoor adventure program. During her tenure, the Georgetown Parks and Recreation Department was awarded the National Gold Medal by the National Recreation and Park Association.

Dr. McMahan holds a doctorate in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in Health, Physical Education and Leisure from Oklahoma State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Education from Baylor University. She has served as president and board member of the Wilderness Education Association and was recognized with the Paul Petzoldt Award for Excellence in Wilderness Education.

Her research centers on risk taking, risk response, and judgment and decision making within outdoor recreation participation. She has led and collaborated on federally funded research examining visitor behavior, interpretation, and risk mitigation in national parks and protected areas, including multi-phase projects with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. In both the classroom and the field, she enjoys engaging students in applied discussions of judgment, decision making, and leadership in dynamic outdoor settings. In addition to her research, Dr. McMahan serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership.

Current Courses Taught:

• RLS 3301 Theory and Practice of Outdoor Adventure Programs
• RLS 2201 Adventure Recreation Leadership and Challenge Course Facilitation
• RLS 2388 Leisure and Lifestyle Well-Being
• RLS 4301 Outdoor Education
• RLS 4398 Leisure Services for Persons with Disabilities