Congratulations! to Andrew Lepp, Ph.D. Andrew received the President’s Faculty Excellence Award, which recognizes exceptional performance that leads to the achievement of national or international recognition in the faculty member’s discipline.
Lepp is one of twenty-nine ¶¶MÅ®ÆÍ faculty members included in the top 2 percent of scientists in the world based on a recent study published by Stanford University scholars. The , evaluated more than six million scientists across 22 different fields and 176 sub-fields from 1996 until 2019. The top 2 percent list is made up of more than 100,000 most-cited scientists who have authored at least five scientific papers.
Lepp earned his Ph.D. in 2004, from the University of Florida's Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism. Before that he worked for seven years in the field of natural resource management and conservation. During this time, he worked for the United States Park Service, the United States Forest Service, and was a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda, East Africa. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Lepp served for two years as a Warden of Tourism in Uganda's national park system.
In preparation for these posted, he earned a master of science degree from Oregon State University in natural resource management, and a bachelor of science degree from Wake Forest University in mathematical-economics.
"This diversity of experience influenced my interests in ecotourism, international tourism, outdoor recreation, natural resource conservation and international development," said Lepp. "My experience as a father has motivated a new research interest: Understanding the connections between new media use (smartphones, internet, etc.) and young people’s behavior."
Faculty Excellence Award
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members in all disciplines and from all campuses were eligible based on recommendations to department chairs and deans. The awards program also represents an investment in the university’s vision and aspirations. Some 50 nominations and self-nominations were received; nine were recommended by the provost and approved by the president.