Reader in Architecture and Cities Dr Stroma Cole has received the prestigious John Rooney Award from the Association of American Geographers’ (AAG) Recreation, Tourism and Sport (AAG-RTS) Specialty Group.
The John Rooney Award is given for outstanding contributions to the field and discipline of Applied Recreation, Tourism and Sport Geography. The Recreation, Tourism and Sports group of the AAG encourages research and teaching of applied and academic aspects of recreation, tourism, and sport geography. The formal award ceremony takes place at the AAG Annual Meeting. This year it ran from 16 - 20 April in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Dr Stroma Cole combines her academic career with action research and consultancy. Her research explores the interconnect between tourism, gender and water rights, and critiques the consequences of tourism development. She is a Co-director of Equality in Tourism, an international charity seeking to increase gender equality in tourism. She has over 30 publications and is on the editorial board of Annals of Tourism Research, the Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Tourism Geographies.
Speaking about her award, Dr Cole said: “I am honoured that my academic activism has been recognised. This award has always gone to professors in the past, so this validation through international acknowledgement of my achievements was a very welcome surprise.”
In November 2023, Dr Cole spoke at the Mainstreaming Net Positive Hospitality Summit, a major industry conference on driving sustainability in tourism through equality and inclusion.
Dr Cole’s work directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5: Gender Equality, 6: Clean Water and Sanitation and 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about courses in Tourism and Events Management at the University of Westminster.
