Protected Areas Research Collaborative PARC Lab

Dr. Peter Newman

Co-Director of PARC and PARC Listening Lab

Dr. Peter Newman is the Dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. He was formally the department head and Suzie and Allen Martin Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management department at Penn State.  He serves as a co-director of the Protected Areas Research Collaborative (PARC) Laboratory. He obtained his Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont and his M.S. in Forest Resource Management from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry College

Dr. Newman’s research focuses on visitor management decision making in the context of protected areas globally. He has conducted numerous visitor use management studies in parks and protected areas within the United States, and internationally.

Current research interests include visitor management in and regarding protected areas, soundscape/acoustic management in parks, transportation management and planning, efficacy of Leave No Trace practices, and health/well being.Dr. Newman interests in these areas began when he served as a National Park Service Ranger in Yosemite National Park, and as a Back country patrol ranger with the US Forest Service in Frank Church Wilderness.

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Dr. Derrick Taff

Co-Director of PARC and PARC Listening Lab

Derrick Taff is an Associate Professor in the Recreation, Park and Tourism Management Department at Penn State University, and the Science Advisor for the Leave No Trace organization. His research strives to improve communication strategies aimed at influencing human health and environmental sustainability in parks and protected areas. Much of his research has focused on Leave No Trace-based communication strategies and how to positively influence human perceptions and behaviors in a manner that promotes social and ecological well-being. Aligning with these communication strategies, Derrick frequently works with the National Park Service Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division to develop research-informed, effective educational approaches aimed at educating the public.

Derrick has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and protected areas management research, with previous stints working for the National Park Service in Rocky Mountain National Park, and in 2023 as the park’s first Scholar in Residence, and at the National Park Service Denver Service Center where he worked as a recreation planner. He holds a PhD from Colorado State University in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, and a Master’s Degree in American Studies, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Wilderness Recreation from the University of Alabama.

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Dr. Andrew Barnard

Co-Director of PARC Listening Lab

Andrew Barnard is the Vice President for Research at Michigan Technological University. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University (MTU) and a Ph.D. in Acoustics from Penn State. Dr. Barnard is Board Certified by the Institute for Noise Control Engineering (INCE) and is a Certified LabVIEW Developer (CLD).  He previously spent 8 years as a research associate at the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State, 7 years as a tenure-line faculty member at MTU, and 2 years as Director of the Great Lakes Research Center at MTU. Dr. Barnard has interests in mechanical vibration, noise control, and acoustics.

His specialties include dynamic test and measurements, remote sensing, signal processing, real-time control systems, maritime technology, and defense technologies. Dr. Barnard also has interests in

entrepreneurship, having co-founded two start-ups with former students; NanoSound Inc., and SwimSmart Technologies LLC.

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