Brigham Young University
Department of Recreation Management and Youth Leadership


Dr. Howard Richard Gray
The Pursuit of Excellence in Higher Education

Information about Dr. Howard R. Gray includes:

Family Support:

I am the"other Dr. Gray."
Dr. Sharon R. Gray is an Associate Professor of Visual Art Education at Brigham Young University. Additional credentials include: J. Paul Getty Scholar in Art Education, Former Executive Director of the Utah Statewide Art Partnership (SWAP), Past-President of Utah Museum Association (UMA), Past-President of Utah Art Education Assocation (UAEA), and Former Associate Director of the Springville Museum of Art.
She enjoys research in Family Art, Student-to-Student Collaborations in Rural Utah Schools (SSCIRUS), ATTE Pedagogy, Lifelong Learning, Student Teaching and Internship Modeling, and Museum-based Cultural Life Accessibility (ADA).
We are blessed with four children: Sheridan (Women's Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce), Austin (Barre Vermont Attorney), Jordan (Slate Canyon Youth Detention Counselor) and Mardi (DoxTek Representative). We love our thirteen grandchildren and the plethora of activity possiblities in their lives: Liberty Park, Philadelphia, Harbor Park's Legend of Moonglum, Cooper Park, Florida, Lindon Adventures with zoos, sports, museums, schools, family fun, etc.



Office Location
Contact Information

Suite W435 Tanner Building
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah 84602-22024

Phone Mail (801) 422-3506
Fax (801) 422-0609
E-MailDr. Howard Richard Gray




Teaching Assignments:


-BYU Gerontology Program
-BYU Behavioral Medicine Lab
-Phi Kappa Phi BYU Chapter President
-RMYL 199R based upon 100 Clinical Hours Internship (RMYL 199R)
-RMYL 307 ADA and Inclusive Recreation Strategies (RMYL 307)
-RMYL 473 Issues in Administration of Therapeutic Recreation (RMYL 473)
-RMYL 496R Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Internships based on credentialling, certification, licensure and accreditation standards. (RMYL 496R)


Academic History:


-Lehi High School Experience: Highlights of my high school experience include: love of God and Family, service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, love of learning, daily chores with family operation of ~200 acre ranch and dairy farm, Eagle Scout experience, tennis (letter), basketball (manager), football (manager), student body officer (business manager) and induction into the Lehi High School Hall of Fame.

-BYU Student Experience: My undergraduate and masters degrees were completed at Brigham Young University. My studies were interupted by Army Basic Training at Fort Ord, California and Radio School Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina I further interupting my studies with a 30 month missionary experience in Switzerland. BYU student government involvement was an extra-curricular highlight because it introduced me to Sharon Pearl Reed of Morenci, Arizona. BYU Recreation Sports became the major focus of my academic work. Additionally, I teamed with sports-orented friends to win the BYU Intramural Sports Supremacy Trophy and retire it by winning three consecutive championships. Sharon Pearl Reed Gray and I were married in the Manti Temple. A BYU highlight was the birth of our first daughter Sheridan.

-Wyoming Experience: My first professional job was with a non-profit youth agency in Casper, Wyoming with duties to supervise city-wide youth programs and direct an Older Americans Act community grant to develop senior citizen programs. We hired The University of Wyoming fieldwork students in our summer recreation programs. Special Olympics became my favorite city-wide youth program. Our first son Austin was born.

-Pennsylvania Experience: In addition to my duties as a doctoral instructor in the Parks and Recreation Administration program at Penn State, I received a National Institue of Aging (OAA funded) doctoral fellowship to support my education and research agenda. In the summers, I supervised and visited the Penn State undergraduate fieldwork students in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Our second son Jordan was born.

-Virginia Experience: My first "real" teaching job was in Virginia at Radford College and included a research project funded by the Older Americans Act. I loved my teaching assignment and my 1978-1979 tenure as Department Chair of the undergraduate curriculum in Leisure Studies and Services at Radford College. I involved Radford College with the Virginia Tech Gerontology Program where we developed Rural Consumer Fraud Programs as well as the Pulaski County Senior Citizen Center Program. Ilearned about NRPA-AALR accreditation for professional undergraduate academic programs and helped Radford College become the first undergraduate only program (1979) accredited by the Council on Accreditation. In preparation for the 1979 undergraduate accreditation process, I involved Radford College in (1) sponsoring Virginia Special Olympics and (2) conducting a quasi-experimental study of 40 students and 40 agencies involved in our field work training program (Dr. Stephen G. Greiner Doctoral Dissertation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1978). This Radford College internship study documented significant differences between the experimental group (20 students and 20 agencies receiving a pre-service and in-service field work training program) and the control group (20 students and 20 agencies receiving no pre-service nor in-service training program). Our second daughter Mardi was born.

-Council on Accreditation Experience: I served as department chair, consultant and/or on-site visitor in accrediting fourteen (14) undergraduate university programs: Radford College, Brigham Young University, San Diego State University, Old Dominion University, Long Beach State University, Fresno State University (twice), Oklahoma State University, California Polytechnic University at San Louis Obispo, Northridge State University, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington State University, Colorado State University, University of Oregon and Arizona State University-West.

-RMYL Experience at BYU: My administrative and accreditation experiences in Virginia were valuable in (1) preparing RMYL undergraduate academic program for accrediton 1979-1982; (2) upgrading the pre-service practicuum and in-service fieldwork training programs for RMYL students and agencies into the current Cooperative Education and Internship Model at Brigham Young University; (3) guiding my academic work as well as tenure as RMYL Chair from 1987-1993; (4) formulating my involvement with the BYU Gerontology program; as well as my Lifelong BYU Faculty Agenda of citizenship, teaching and research activities in higher education. (5) serving as international ambassador with higher education projects in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Israel, Denmark, Taiwan and Russia (6) beginning my service as a PKP Chapter Officer within Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society

-Concurrent Adventures with AAHPERD, Special Olympics, BYU Gerontology, BYU Aspen Gove Family Camp Master Plan, MTC Senior Missionary Master Plan, Huntsman World Senior Games Master Plan, 2002 SLC Winter Olympics and Paralympic Master Plan, BYUSALeadership Mentoring, BYU Freshman Leadership, Springville Museum ofArt (ADA), Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Eta Sigma, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, American Leisure Academy, Branch President with Missionary Training Center, Bishop with BYU 20th Student Stake: High Council in BYU 20th Student Stake, Mount Timpanogos Temple Worker and Israel Sabbatical Leave at Hebrew University have prepared me for my current assignments in Therapeutic Recreationand Gerontology. My growing love for technology has helped me establisha "lifelong learning agenda" in citizenship, teaching and research at Brigham Young University.

-CENTURY MARK in Publications During my tenure, I have become a Centurian or a faculty member with 100+ professional and curriculum publications in higher education.


Journal of Recreation and Leisure 2007

Journal of Recreation and Leisure website

Journal of Recreation and Leisure 2008

Journal of Recreation and Leisure website


Student Advisement:


My current academic workload (RMYL 199R, RMYL 307, RMYL 473, RMYL 496R) allows me to meet with Therapeutic Recreation and Gerontology students at Brigham Young University. My Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society work involves me with BYU students from all academic disciplines. It is clear that BYU students represent the best of Academic Excellence and Christian Virtues in higher Education.
Additionally, I assist undergraduate students with academic and clinical issues regarding Inclusive Recreation Strategies mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Older Americans Act (OAA).


Current Research:


-PKP Paradigm Shift: From Teaching to Learning to Professional NCTRC Competencies in Undergraduate Education courses: RMYL 199, 307, 473 and 496R
-Internet Technology: Emerging Lifelong Learning in Distance Education Models
-Special Olympics Research Proposal: Functional Fitness Enchancement
-Americans Disability Act (ADA) Research
-Huntsman World Senior Games Longitudinal Research
-Huntsman World Senior Games Ambassador to Taiwan, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Israel, Italy, Denmark, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, England and Russia
-Cultural Life Venue-Based Research: Museum Accessibility (ADA) and Art Therapy
-BYU Behavioral Medicine Unit


Recent Professional Awards:


-2009 Phi Kappa Phi Brigham Young University Chapter President
-2009 Phi Eta Sigma Brigham Young University Chapter Service and Teaching Award
-2008 National Phi Eta Sigma Distinguished Service Award
-Y BE FIT: 2007 Successful Fitness Award
-Utah Recreation and Parks Association: 2007 Board of Directors Service Award
-BYU College of Health and Human Performance: 2007 Citizenship Award
-Journal of Cooperative Education/Internships Association, Associate Editor
-National Society of Collegiate Scholars Keynote and Advisor
-Huntsman World Senior Games "Appreciation Award"
-Recreation Management and Youth Leadership Student Council Advisor
-Journal of Recreation and Leisure, Associate Editor
-Phi Eta Sigma, BYU Freshman Honor Society Advisor
-National Art Education Association, Lifelong Learning Affiliate Editor
-Lifetime Phi Kappa Phi, BYU Chapter Vice-President
-Sagamore Press, Author
-AAHPERD Press, Author
-Salt Lake City Winter Games International Client Services: World Anti-Doping Agency -Salt Lake City Para-Olympic Games International Client Service: Executive Committee -American Leisure Academy, Senior Fellow (Charter Member)
-AALR-AAHPERD, National President
-Council on Accreditation: 14 on-site visitation teams -Southwest District AAHPERD Webpage and Highlights Co-Editor
-Southwest District AAHPERD Scholar
-Southwest District Recreation and Leisure Educator of the Year
-Utah AAHPERD Outstanding Recreation Educator of the Year
-Lehi High School Hall of Fame
-International Special Olympics Winter Games, Board of Directors
-Utah Special Olympics, President of Board of Directors
-City of Orem, Recreation Advisory Commission, President
-Brigham Young University Freshman Leadership Mentor
-Y Group and BYU Freshman Student Leadership Mentor



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