Outdoor programming and leadership, adventure education, youth development, recreation land management, wilderness studies, evaluation methods and techniques, race/culture, and gender issues, social and environmental justice.

Research and Evaluation

India Basin Waterfront: Parks & Trails.  Equity Development Plan (Final).  (2020-current).  Interagency collaboration for park redevelopment project -Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco. SF Office of the Mayor, Press Release (2019). SFSU=Academic Advisors. Co-Project Team: Kim Moore Bailey, Justice Outdoors & SF State/RPT Lecturer & Audree Jones-Taylor, Simply Re-Creating Enterprise; Student Research Assistant: Sophia Beraducci, University of San Francisco. Best Practices | Sample Case Studies | Brief Review of Literature.  

“Voices of Integrating Culture in the Earth Sciences (VOICES)” – (2020-current). Collaborative pilot study focused on identifying new pathways to dismantle persistent barriers in recruitment, retention, & representation of different racial, ethnic and cultural groups, including the intersectionality of those w/ disabilities. This project examines strategies for ameliorating disparities by focusing on factors such as increasing opportunities for inclusion that foster a sense of belonging, professionally. Lead P.I. Rick Harvey, Ph.D., Professor, Dept of Recreation, Parks, Tourism & Holistic Health. Sub-contract/partners: UC Berkeley, University of Minnesota, & University of Cincinnati.

Beach Sustainability Assessment:  Comprehensive Analysis for Management Project. (2021-current).  “Sustaining Beaches and Social Equity under Higher Sea Levels: An interdisciplinary case study of the Santa Barbara Littoral Cell.” News release. Interdiscplinary project team across CSU, Channel Islands, UC Santa Barbara, & SF State University.  SFSU Co-PI, Philip King, Dept. of Economics.  

City of San Bruno, Strategic Business Plan for Recreation & Aquatic Center (2021). Final Plan | Consulting team led by Audree Jones-Taylor, President & Principal Consultant, Simply Re-Creating Enterprise.

Lower Cost Coastal Accommodations Program. AB250 (Apr-Sept. 2018). Final Report Support the CA Coastal Conservancy, Coastal Commission, & CA State Parks to prepare a lower cost coastal accommodations assessment containing specified information relating to specific opportunities to improve existing, and generate new, lower cost coastal accommodations.
Research Associates: Audree Jones-Taylor, President & Principle Consultant, ‎Simply Re-Creating Enterprise, & Dr. Paige Viren, Assistant Professor, SFSU Dept. Recreation, Parks, & Tourism
Research Assistant: Lindsey Marsh, Psychology

Marin County Parks, Preservation, Recreation – Visitor Use/Non-Use Study (2016).  Final Survey Report (Tierney).  Focus Groups Final Report  (Roberts).
Research Assistants: Ryan Tachibana, Environmental Studies & Lindsey Marsh, Psychology

San Mateo County Parks Department – Visitor Use/Non-Use Study (2015-16)
Final Report | Project intro sheet | Literature Review | Press Release
Research Associates, Ruby Turalba, MPH, Lecturer, Health Education Dept. & Dr. Patrick Tierney, Dept of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism
Research Assistants, Ryan Tachibana, Environmental Studies and Lindsey Marsh, Psychology

U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station – Media & Communications Project in Collaboration with BAYCAT (2013-15).
Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Nancy (“Sami”) Reist, SFSU Broadcast Electronic Communications; Dr. Kristen Pozzoboni, Child & Adolescent Development
Graduate Research Assistant, Tanvi Sikand, Broadcast Electronic Communication Arts

East Bay Regional Park District,  Youth Engagement Strategy (2014)
Final Strategic Plan
Special Consultant:  Dr. Mary Fortune, Dept. of Recreation, Hospitality, & Tourism, CSU/East Bay; Graduate Research Assistant: Tanya Rao. 

Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks (TRIP) Program – “Car-Less CA”  
Work with inter-agency California team of NPS, USFS, BLM, USFWS, and other university partners to address the challenge of increasing vehicular congestion in and around national parks, forests, and other federal lands and increase access for recreational use by underserved communities. Final Report – December 2012

Breaking down cultural & economic barriers to youth participation in the outdoors:  An NPS Collaborative (2011).  Assist inter-agency collaboration comprised of the National Park Service (Yosemite National Park), WildLink/Naturebridge, ARC/UC Berkeley and others  to explore new ways of providing park outreach and engagement programming of underserved and under-resourced communities.  Designed and develop a youth survey to investigate barriers, motivations, & values. (Funded, in part, by the Stewardship Council).Youth & Nature Literature Review, April 2012. Final Report – November 2012.

Empowering Today’s Teenagers through Opportunities in the Golden Gate National Parks: A Document Analysis (2009).  Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders, Project WISE, Teens on Trails, LINC, and the Oceana High School Nursery Program. Final Briefing
Graduate Research Assistants: Allison Hughes, Dept. of Geography and Steven Rossi, Dept of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism.

Camping at the Presidio:  Exploring the Impacts of an Urban Camping Experience for Underserved Youth (2nd Season, 2008).  An inter-agency partnership: Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy & Crissy Field Center, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, The Presidio Trust, and Bay Area Wilderness Training.  Final Report – January 2009
Graduate Research Assistant: Allison Hughes, Department of Geography

Camping at the Presidio:  Exploring the Impacts of an Urban Camping Experience for Underserved Youth (Pilot year, 2007).
Project Highlights (1-pg review) |  Final Report – May 2008
Graduate Research Assistant: Allison Hughes, Department of Geography

Project WISE:  Watersheds Inspiring Student Education – 2nd year evaluation 
A program of the Crissy Field Center, the Urban Watershed Project, and Galileo Academy of Science and Technology. Final Report – July 2008. 
Research Assistant: Arjuna Sayyed, Department of Child & Adolescent Development

Project WISE:  Watersheds Inspiring Student Education (year 1)
Final Report – July 2007 | Executive Summary – July 2007 | Project Highlights (1-pg review)
Research Assistant: Arjuna Sayyed, Department of Child & Adolescent Development

Non-Visitor Use Constraints Study (NPS) – An Exploration of Issues through Focus Groups Sponsored by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
Final Report – March 2007 | Executive Summary – March 2007 | Project Highlights (1-pg)
Graduate Research Assistant: Raphael Crawford-Marks, Recreation, Parks & Tourism

Through the Eyes of Youth: Experience with Programs at the Crissy Field Center (2007) Sponsored by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy & Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Final Report | Executive Summary | Project Highlights (1-pg)
Graduate Research Assistant: Roman Iacobucci, Dept. of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism

The Impacts of the National Green Corps Program (Eco-clubs) on Students and their Participation in Environmental Education Activities (2006). A Fulbright study funded by the U.S. Educational Foundation in India and the Indo-American Environmental Leadership Program, Final Report. Research Associate:  Sirisha Indukuri

PROGRAM PARTNERS AND CONTRACTING AGENCIES

“Nina is perhaps one of the most influential researchers in this work. She has contributed to change-making nationally about how park leaders engage and build constituencies that are representative of our broader community. As a professor at San Francisco State, she has continued to deliver meaningful research that has direct application to the ways in which parks consider access, design, and engagement…Nina is perhaps one of the most passionate people I know in this work, and she has an AMAZING network.”

Sharon Farrell, Executive Vice President–
Projects, Stewardship & Science Director
One Tam Initiative, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy