Meet the Faculty

Lauren Stephens

Lauren Stephens

Assistant Professor of Sport & Recreation Professions

Office Location: Batten 206
Phone: 757-455-2106
Email: lstephens@vwu.edu
Department/s:
- Recreational Therapy/Sport and Recreation Management

Lauren E. Stephens, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Sport and Recreation Professions department at Virginia Wesleyan University. She is passionate about student learning and engagement, where her approach to teaching is grounded in viewing her students as people first and students second. Through enacting tenants of the pedagogy of kindness, Dr. Stephens strives to form meaningful relationships with her students through the creation of a safe space where alternate viewpoints and tough questions are welcome, mutual respect is established, and trust is earned. Dr. Stephens' research has two foci: 1) a focus on SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) through pedagogy and course design and 2) an exploration of the ways contextual factors, such as relationships and social media, influence student-athletes' perceptions of body image, eating behaviors, and related symptoms.

Tugman, B., Stephens, L. E., Bundrick, A., & Olsen, T. (2025). Creating effective peer observation faculty training through a community of practice. Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, 44(1), 53-70.

Overgaard, C., Mackaway, J., Adelaide, D., Stephens, L. E., & Harrison, M. (2024). Kindness in teaching practice: Wellbeing and compassion. In A. Grant & S. Pittaway (Eds.). Enacting a Pedagogy of Kindness: A guide for practitioners in higher education. United Kingdom: Routledge.

Garst, B., Stephens, L. E., Parry, B., Bowers, E., & Quinn, W. (2023). Influence of a youth development leadership graduate degree program on the professional pathways of youth leaders. Children and Youth Services Review, 149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106928

*Wall, N., *Walter, J., & Stephens, L. E. (2023). Shared perspective: Considerations for designing a quality online learning experience. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2023.2175742

*Thurson, K., *Dubin, A., *McAnirlin, O., Powell, G. M., Stephens, L. E. (2023). Virtual notebooks: Collaboration and connection during COVID and beyond. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2022.2156408

Stephens, L. E. (2021). More than students... A pedagogy of kindness. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2021.1986434

Stephens, L. E., Bowers, E. P., Schmalz, D. L., Duffy, L. N., & Lenhoff, J. (2021). A mixed method approach to evaluating eating-related psychopathologies of collegiate student-athletes. Journal of American College Health. https://10.1080/07448481.2021.1947304

Stephens, L. E., Powell, G., Duffy, L. N., & McGuire, F. (2021). The interrupted semester: Thoughts and tools that move us full circle. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2021.1931577

Stephens, L. E., Kim, G., Fogle, E. V., *Kleinbort, T., Duffy, L. N., Powell, G., Olsen, L., Kakraba Coleman, K., & Gremillion, J. P. (2021). Reducing writing apprehension in undergraduate parks, recreation, and tourism management students. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2929.1860668

Olsen, L. K.-P., Bixler, R. D., Powell, G. M., Garst, B. A., Stephens, L. E., & Switzer, D. M. (2021). The case for a new classification system for summer camps based on variation in their physical, social and activity structuring. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, & Leadership, 13(2), 79-87.

Garst, B. A., Bowers, E. P., & Stephens, L. E. (2020). A randomized study of CrossFit Kids for fostering health/fitness and academic outcomes in middle school students. Evaluation and Program Planning, 83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2020.101856

*Kleinbort, T., Duffy, L., Powell, G., Fogle, E., Gremlin, P., Kakraba, K., Olsen, L., & Stephens, L. E. (2020). Writing in the discipline: A writing mentorship program to enhance student writing skills in the leisure field. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. doi: 10.1080/1937156X.2020.1720467

Larson, L. R., Szczythko, R., Bowers, E. P., Stephens, L. E., Stevenson, K. T., & Floyd, M. R. (2019). Outdoor time, screen time, and connection to nature: Troubling trends among rural youth? Environment and Behavior, 51(8), 966-991.

Stephens, L. E., Bowers, E. P., & Lerner, J. V. (2018). Positive youth development and adolescent eating disorder symptomatology: The role of natural mentors. Journal of Community Psychology, 46(4), 473-488. doi: 10.1002/jcop.21952

Coleman, B. K., Stephens, L. E., & Lintner, T. (2012). "Hometown history" setting for interdisciplinary planning. South Carolina Middle School Association Journal, 6, 98-106.