Erin Sharpe has been appointed the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Teaching in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, effective July 1.

With more than two decades of experience, the Associate Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies has a deep understanding of student needs and insight into academic life at Brock.

As Associate Dean, she looks forward to taking a holistic approach to improving the student experience.

Sharpe — who led the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies for four and a half years including through the COVID-19 pandemic — says she has witnessed significant shifts in higher education since joining Brock in 2001.

“I’m mindful of the demands placed on students’ time and attention,” she said. “I’m interested to see where we can remove unnecessary roadblocks and create systems for students to thrive.”

Central to her research and teaching is the belief that leisure is a basic right, not a luxury.

As an educator, she believes meaningful learning happens when students have the time and space to engage in all that a university education offers, in and outside of the classroom.

As a researcher, she studies how communities can make informal and formal recreation more inclusive and how structural barriers affect access to joy, rest and well-being.

Sharpe says this access often reflects privilege, and her work explores the ways community-based organizations can challenge inequities in urban planning, address neighbourhood stigma and advocate for socially conscious recreation programs and policies.

“Community recreation and sport organizations are important settings to learn and play sport. They are also important settings for social connection. People connect to others in and across their community,” she said. “The time spent together in these settings is meaningful to the person, and beneficial to the community.”

Beyond Brock, Sharpe is involved in local organizations that promote recreation and sport for youth, particularly rowing and bicycling. She was recently recognized for her volunteer service by the City of St. Catharines.