Dr. Yating Liang

Biography

Dr. Liang has an extensive academic and professional background in recreation, sport, and park and tourism management. Dr. Liang’s teaching portfolio includes a diverse range of courses such as event planning, risk management, statistics and research methods, and destination management. She has led several education abroad programs in Asia, North America, and Europe, contributing significantly to students’ global learning experiences. An accomplished scholar, Dr. Liang has published widely in peer-reviewed journals. She has presented at prestigious conferences both nationally and internationally. Dr. Liang is actively involved in professional services, including chairing multiple accreditation visits for the Council on Accreditation of Parks, Recreation, Tourism, and Related Professions (COAPRT). She continues to engage in community service, professional development, and mentoring, demonstrating her commitment to excellence in education and leadership in her field.

Details

Education

• PhD, Leisure, Health and Human Services, Oklahoma State University
• MS, Parks and Recreation Administration, Western Kentucky University
• BA, Applied English in Tourism, Nankai University

Teaching

• HSP 340 Destination Management

Professional experience

Dr. Liang's dissertation of benchmarking study on state parks won a research excellence award at Oklahoma State University. Her work has also been published in national journals, and she has presented at both international and national conferences.

Dr. Liang joined RSPA faculty in 2004.

Selected Publications

• Liang, Y. & Li, H. (2024). The impact of Boys Love literacy on perception of LGBTQ + group: An exploratory study. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-024-00156-2
• Liang, Y., Kim, J. & Kitheka, B (2022). Self-assessment of research skills among undergraduate students: A Kinesiology field perspective. International Journal of Kinesiology in Higher Education, December, 20. https://doi.org/10.1080/24711616.2022.2141157  
• Kitheka, B. & Liang, Y. (2020). Profiling ecotourism conceptualization and trends in the Ozarks: a practitioner perspective. Journal of Tourism Management and Research, 5(2), 696-716, http://doi.org/10.26465/ojtmr.2018339537  
• Choi, H.S., Liang, Y. (2016). An exploratory study of wilderness perceptions among college students: Biocentric and anthropocentric perspectives. Journal of Unconventional Parks, Tourism & Recreation Research, 6 (1), 21-25.

Professional Affiliations

• International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education
• Travel and Tourism Research Association

Research and professional interests

• Leisure behavior
• Event management
• Travel and tourism

Area of expertise