The final draft of the report on the URSA Quality Enhancement Proposal is nearing completion. The report will be submitted for the SACS accreditation process. The report indicates a five fold growth in undergraduate research participatin at Baylor since 2004. The URSA program has been highly successful in terms of outreach and increasing student participation. Check out the URSA website for more details. I am still director of URSA.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
The Spirit of the Appalachian Trail nominated for two book awards
My newest book, The Spirit of the Appalachian Trail has been nominated for two book awards –
The Sigurd Olsen Prize for Nature Writing.
The Crader Family Book Prize, which recognizes the single author, English language work, “which best exemplifies the values of the Crader Family Endowment for American Values: individual liberty, constitutional principles and civic virtue.”
News coverage has included the Knoxville News Sentinel and the major paper in Orlando. I was just interviewed in regards to an article in Spirituality and Health.
Article on megachurch landscapes
My first article on megachurch campus management appeared late this spring. I am currently working on a more through examination of antional trends.
Bratton, S.P., 2012, The Megachurch in the Landscape: Adapting to Changing Scale and Managing Integrated Green Space in Texas and Oklahoma, USA, Worldviews 16: 30-49.
Article published on Christianity and wilderness
I joined several other contributors in an issue of Christian Reflection dedicated to environmental ethics and theology.
Bratton, S.P., 2012, Appreciating wilderness. In: Caring for Creation, Christian Reflection, 28-35.
Chapter published on ecology of Brazos and Bosque corridor
The City of Waco finally released the very nicely formatted document on the Brazos and Bosque River corridor. I wrote one chapter on ecology for the pub. Copies are available on the City of Waco website.
Reference: Bratton, S.P., 2012, Section 2: the Ecology [of the Brazos and Bosque River corridor], pp. 21-30 and selected photographs in City of Waco, Parks and Recreation Department, National Park Service, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, US Army Corps of Engineers, For All Our Lifetimes: A Vision for the Brazos and Bosque Rivers – Waco, TX, Waco,: City of Waco Parks and Recreation, 62 pp.
Privet project continues with undergrad researcher
Aaron Rodriguez has taken up the project tracking the impact of the recent drought on privet and nandina in Cameron Park. We hope to finish field work shortly. 
Undergrad Assistants on AT Project
Two undergrad students, now holding their degrees, assisted on the AT project – Robert Kent and Marcus Keck. Thanks to them for their help in getting the book finished. Robert actually hiked the entire Trail after he graduated. Check out the attached photos.
SPIRIT OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Just released
in June 2102.
Susan Power Bratton, 2012, The Spirit of the Appalachian Trail: Community, Environment, and Belief on a Long-Distance Hiking Path, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA: University of Tennessee Press, 284 pp. ISBN 13:978-1-57233-877-7; ISBN 10:1-57233-877-6.
Investigating the interface between spiritual formation and recreation, The Spirit of the Appalachian Trail summarizes the religious and educational experiences of long distance walkers on the prototype of national scenic foot trail. The book distinguishes hikers, not just by religious preference but by frequency of religious practices such service attendance. Hikers reported gains in all four spiritual domains: personal, community, environmental and transcendent. Two chapters cover the role of the extended backcountry sojourn in environmental learning and development of environmental and social values. The findings demonstrate significant correlations between participation in prayer and meditation and personal outcomes, such as feelings of harmony. Greater mileage completed is positively correlated to building friendships and the overall learning experience.