Faculty and Staff Profile

Matt Brownlee

Educational Background

Ph.D. Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management: Parks and Conservation Area Management
Clemson University 2012

M.S. Recreation Administration
Aurora University 2004

B.S. Outdoor Education
Northland College 1999

Courses Taught

PRTM 8110 Research Methods in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management
PRTM 8070, Human Dimensions of Outdoor Recreation and Public Land Visitation
PRTM 4740 Advanced Recreation Resource Management
PRTM 4310 Methods of Environmental Interpretation
PRTM 3500 Global Challenges: Climate change, marine environments, and human communities
PRTM 3300 Visitor Services and Interpretation
PRTM 3220 Recreation Policy
PRTM 2140 Wilderness Perspectives

Profile

Dr. Brownlee is a Professor of Parks and Conservation in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management with a joint appointment in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation. Dr. Brownlee’s interdisciplinary research links outdoor recreation, park planning, and resource management. His applied research supplies information to help park and protected area professionals and natural resource managers characterize and evaluate human-nature interactions including a) park visitor behavior, visitation estimation, and thresholds of use, b) people’s interactions with and attachments to climate-sensitive and climate-impacted environments, and c) linkages within dynamic environmental-social systems. Dr. Brownlee specializes in research design and analytical methods, specifically related to applied social science research in parks and protected areas. He often uses methods that transcend traditional concentration areas and degrees, including advanced quantitative modeling, experience sampling, social network analysis, cognitive mapping, GPS tracking, GIS applications, participant-employed photography, and photo-elicitation. Dr. Brownlee has expertise in methods related to the Interagency Visitor Use Management Framework and holds a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (Unmanned Aerial System; Drones) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration with specialized training in photogrammetry and thermography. Matt has current or past projects with several federal and state agencies, including the U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and various State Park agencies. These projects involve addressing complex management issues across diverse protected areas, including but not limited to Katmai National Park & Preserve (AK), Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (AK), Joshua Tree National Park (CA), Kenai Fjords National Park (AK), Denali National Park & Preserve (AK), Mammoth Cave National Park (KY), Buffalo National River (AR), Cumberland Island National Seashore (GA), the Bonneville Salt Flats (UT), and Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND). Internationally, Matt has conducted and supervised research in Colombia with Parques Nacionales Naturales, Argentina with Administracion de Parques Nacionales, and in the Pangolakha landscape in India with the Global Tiger Forum. Dr. Brownlee's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, federal and state land management agencies, and private foundations. One of Matt's greatest joys is working closely with graduate and undergraduate students through applied research. During this process, Matt and his students work collaboratively to address a critical management need in addition to unanswered academic questions. When not conducting research or teaching in beautiful Clemson, South Carolina, Matt loves spending time with his wife Mindy and his two children. Matt enjoys camping, hunting, fishing, traveling, and community events, including, of course, Clemson University Football.

Research Interests

Visitor use management in parks and protected areas; Interagency Visitor Use Management Framework; human dimensions of natural resource management; social-ecological systems; methods and measurement in applied social research

Research Publications

Journal Articles since 2020 (Peer-Reviewed)
*indicates publication with current or past graduate student

72. Brunson, M., Sharp, R., Brownlee, M., & Wilkes, J. (2025). Shadows of Perception: The role of photographic context in visitor use management research. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2025-12656

71. Winder, S., Wood, S., Brownlee, M., & Lia, E. (2025). Leveraging digital mobility data to estimate visitation in National Wildlife Refuges. Journal of Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123417

70. Soucy, A., De Urioste-Stone, S. Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, P., Jansujwicz, J., Eitel, K., & Brownlee, M. (2024). Involving People in Conservation: Perceptions from Maine, USA. Conservation & Society. DOI: 10.4103/cs.cs_118_23

69. Wilkes, J. Sharp, R., Perry, E., Zajchowski, C., Brownlee, M., & Powell, R. (2024). Intersecting identities: Investigating effects of multiple hierarchy stratification perspective on visitor activity participation. Leisure Sciences. DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2024.2404140

68. Cribbs, T., Hallo, J., Norman, W., Brownlee, M., & Forys, E. (2024). Social carrying capacity of oyster mariculture on the coast of South Carolina: Understanding stakeholders perceptions and thresholds. Marine Policy. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106304

67. *Rose, J., Zajchowski, C., Fefer, J., & Brownlee (2024). Enhancing visitor use management in parks and protected areas through qualitative research. Park Stewardship Forum. DOI: 10.5070/P5.35446

66. Soucy, A., De Urioste-Stone, S. Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, P., Jansujwicz, J., Eitel, K., & Brownlee, M. (2024). Impact of a place-based educational approach on student and community members' experiences and learning within a post-secondary GIS course. Journal of Geoscience Education. DOI: 10.1080/10899995.2024.2379194

65. Wilcox, M., Zajchowski, C., Fefer, J., Perry, E., Sharp, R., & Brownlee, M. (2024). Before, during, and irrespective of the pandemic: Leisure constraints and urban park visitation. World Leisure Journal. DOI: 10.1080/16078055.2024.2337257.

64. Soucy, A., De Urioste-Stone, S. Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, P., Jansujwicz, J., Eitel, K., & Brownlee, M. (2023). Finding hope and fulfillment in meaningful work: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of conservation and stewardship practitioners’ experience, values, and motivations. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000087.

63. *Gatti, E., & Brownlee, M. (2023). Outdoor recreationists’ engagement with weather: The Weather-Outdoor Recreation Process Model (WORP). Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2023.100707.

62. *Blacketer, M., Brownlee, M., Zajchowski, C., & Powell, R. (2023). Perceptions of social and ecological change at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 42, 100629. DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2023.100629.

61. *Yadav, P., Brownlee, M., & Kapoor, M. (2022). Tiger conservation research in the Himalayas: A systematic scoping review. Oryx – the International Journal of Conservation, (56(6). DOI: 10.1017/S0030605322001156.

60. Ogletree, S., Larson, L., Powell, R., White, D., & Brownlee, M. (2022). Urban green space is linked to lower crime risk in 301 major U.S. cities. Cities, 131. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2022.103949

59. Brunson, M., Doeblin, D., Sharp, R., & Brownlee, M. (2022). Utilizing social science data from river recreationists to inform river management. River Research and Applications, 38, 788-798. DOI: 10.1002/rra.3945.

58. *Peterson, B., Brownlee, M., Beeco, A., Hallo, J., White, D., & Joyce, D. (2022). Spatiotemporal analysis to identify air tour travel patterns at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 37(100476). DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2021.100476.

57. Henry, C., Hallo, J., Blacketer, M., Brownlee, M., Norman, W., & Beeco, A. (2022). “It felt like walking through a night sky”: Managing the visitor experience during biologically based nighttime events. Event Management, 26, 387-403. DOI: 10.3727/152599521X16288665119314.

56. *Blacketer, M., Brownlee, M., & Bowen, B. (2022). Social network analysis in a social-ecological system and star actors’ perceptions of social network influence. Environmental Management, 69, 288-304. DOI: 10.1007/s00267-021-01590-8.

55. *Nettles, J., Brownlee, M., Hallo, J., Jachowski, D., Sharp, R., & Erlenbach, J. (2021). A national assessment of knowledge of bear safety and appropriate behavior. Ursus, 2021(32E18), 1-16. DOI: 10.2192/URSUS-D-20-00012.2.

54. *Blacketer, M., Brownlee, M., Baldwin, B., & Bowen, B. (2021). Fuzzy cognitive maps of social-ecological complexity: Applying mental modeler to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Ecological Complexity, 47. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2021.100950.

53. *Nettles, J., Brownlee, M., Hallo, J., Jachowski, D., Sharp, R., & Erlenbach, J. (2021). Integrating emotional affect into bear viewing management and bear safety education. Ecology and Society, 26(2), DOI: 10.5751/ES-12410-260219.

52. *Nettles, J., Brownlee, M., Sharp, R., Blacketer, M., & Peterson, B. (2021). Seasonal and destination-based variation in visitor travel routes in a designated wilderness. International Journal of Wilderness, 27(1).

51. *Nettles, J., Brownlee, M., Sharp, R., & Verbos, R. (2021). The utilization distribution: Wildlife research methods as a tool for understanding visitor use in remote parks and protected areas. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2021.1885766

50. Fefer, J., Hallo, J., Collins, R., Baldwin, E., & Brownlee, M. (2021). From displaced to misplaced: Exploring the experience of visitors who were ‘crowded out’ of their recreation destination. Leisure Sciences. DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2021.1898497

49. *Gatti, E., & Brownlee, M. (2021). “In lands of cold and snow”: Winter recreationists’ perspectives on seasonal differences in the outdoor recreation setting. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2021.100366

48. *Nettles, J., Brownlee, M., Sharp, R., Blacketer, M., & Hallo, J. (2021). Norm stability: Visitors’ perceptions of crowding at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Leisure Sciences. DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2020.1855275

47. Cribbs, T., Sharp, R., Brownlee, M., Perry, E., & Fefer, J. (2020). In search of solitude: A case study of wilderness and non-wilderness river users. International Journal of Wilderness, 26(3), 72-87.

46. *Peterson, B., Brownlee, M., Hallo, J., Beeco, A., White, D., & Zajchowski, C. (2020). Grid analysis of visitor travel patterns in a dispersed outdoor recreation setting. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2020-10646

45. *Peterson, B., Brownlee, M., Hallo, J., Beeco, A., White, D., Sharp, R., & Cribbs, T. (2020). Spatiotemporal variables to understand visitor travel patterns: A management centric approach. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 31, 100316. DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2020.100316

44. *Peterson, B., Perry, E., Brownlee, M., & Sharp, R. (2020). The transient nature of concentrated use at a national park: A spatiotemporal investigation into visitor behavior. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 31, 100310. DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2020.100310

43. *Zajchowski, C., Armeson, K., Rose, J., & Brownlee, M. (2020). A test of the effect of place attachment on the crowding norms of hikers. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 12(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2020-V12-I3-10140

42. *Zajchowski, C, Brownlee, M.., Blacketer, M., Peterson, B., Craft, K., & Bowen, B. (2020). Rapid resource change and visitor use management: Social-ecological connections at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Environmental Management, 66(2), 263-277. DOI: 10.1007/s00267-020-01309-1

41. Little, C., Perry, E., Fefer, J., Brownlee, M., & Sharp, R. (2020). An interdisciplinary review of camera image collection and analysis techniques, with considerations for environmental conservation social science. Data, 5(2), 51 DOI: 10.3390/data5020051

40. Fefer, J., Hallo, J., Dvorak, R., Brownlee, M., Collins, R. & Baldwin, E. (2020). Pictures of polar bears: Using visitor-employed photography to identify experience indicators in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Journal of Environmental Management, 269(1). DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110788

39. Riungu, G., Hallo, J., Backman, K., Brownlee, M., Beeco, A., & Larson, L. (2020). Water-based recreation management: A normative approach to reviewing boating thresholds. Lake and Reservoir Management, 36(2), 139-154. DOI: 10.1080/10402381.2019.1711469

38. Miller, L., Hallo, J., Dvorak, R., Fefer, J., Peterson, B., & Brownlee, M. (2020). 'On the edge of the world: Examining pro-environmental outcomes of last chance tourism in Kaktovik, Alaska. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(11), 1-20. DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2020.1720696

37. *Dagan, D., Sharp, R., Brownlee, M., & Wilkins, E. (2020). Social media data in remote and low-use backcountry areas: Applications and limitations. International Journal of Wilderness, 26(1).

1-36. See CV

Honors and Awards

Funded Research Projects: Current or completed projects since 2015
*indicates substantial involvement of current or past graduate students

SC Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (Barcelona, B., Brookover, B., Brownlee, M., & Hallo, J.) Clemson University and the state of South Carolina. Research to inventory, assess, and inform management of the outdoor recreation resources in South Carolina. Brownlee: Co-PI, 25%.

*Enhancing health through forests (Brownlee, M. & Hsieh, H.) Clemson University and the REI Action Fund. Research to reduce stress for college students. Brownlee: Advisor.

*USFWS Toolkit: Capacity building for visitor estimation (Brownlee, M. & Fowler, B.) Clemson University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Research to improve visitor estimation techniques at USFWS refuges. Brownlee: PI, 100%.

*Natural language processing to understand public comments in USFS planning (Dagan, D., & Brownlee, M.). Clemson University and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service. Research to inform policy and practice of public engagement. Brownlee: PI, 100%.

*Research to inform visitor use management at Greenbelt Park (Brownlee, M. & Zajchowski, C.). Old Dominion University, Clemson University, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform visitor use management and planning at Greenbelt Park. Brownlee: Co-PI; 95%.

*Evaluation of visitor use at North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NI-WB NERR). (Brownlee, M.). Clemson University, NI-WB NERR, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Research to understand and plan for visitor use within and near NI-WB NERR. Brownlee: PI; 100%.

Research to inform visitor use management and planning at National Capital Region Park Units. (Zajchowski, C., Fefer, J., Perry, E., Sharp, R., Brownlee, M., Louviere, J.). Old Dominion University, Kansas State University, Clemson University, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform visitor use management and planning at select park units in the National Capital Region. Brownlee: Co-I; 15%.

*Assessing trail and river use at Mammoth Cave National Park (Brownlee, M. & Sharp, R.). Clemson University, Kansas State University, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform visitor use management and planning at Mammoth Cave National Park. Brownlee: Co-PI; 55%.

*Growing visitation and enhancing visitor experiences at National Wildlife Refuges through better estimation techniques (Brownlee, M., & Wood, S.). Clemson University, University of Washington, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Research to improve visitor estimation techniques at USFWS refuges. Brownlee: Co-PI; 85%.

*Research to evaluate visitor characteristics within and across seasons at Joshua Tree National Park. (Brownlee, M., Powell, R., & Sharp, R.). Clemson University, Kansas State University, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform visitor use management and planning at Joshua Tree National Park. Brownlee: Co-PI; 42%.

*Evaluation of the relationship between current conditions, travel patterns, visitor thresholds, and ferry services at Cumberland Island National Seashore. (Brownlee, M. & Sharp, R.). Clemson University, Kansas State University, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform visitor use management and concessionaire planning at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Brownlee: Co-PI; 77%.

Analysis of visitor estimation procedures at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation sites. (Brownlee, M.) Clemson University and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Research to inform visitor use estimation and associated planning within USACE recreation sites. Brownlee: PI; 100%.

*Research to evaluate visitor use distributions, impacts, crowding, and conflicting use at multi-use sites in Katmai National Park & Preserve and Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. (Sharp, R., Brownlee, M., Erlenbach, J., & Robbins, C.). Kansas State University, Clemson University, Washington State University, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform backcountry management at Katmai National Park & Preserve and Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. Brownlee: Co-PI; 26%.

*Research to inform visitor use management at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. (Sharp, R., Brownlee, M., & Bricker, K.). Kansas State University, University of Utah, Clemson University, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform visitor use management at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Brownlee: Co-PI; 50%.

*CNH-L: Adaptation, mitigation, and biophysical feedbacks in the changing Bonneville Salt Flats. (Bowen, B., Brownlee, M., Brazelton, B., & Harman, C.). The National Science Foundation, University of Utah, Clemson University, and the Bureau of Land Management. Research to evaluate the social and biophysical reciprocity in the changing Bonneville Salt Flats. Brownlee: Co-PI; 20%.

*Towards a better understanding of nature's resiliency-building and restorative power for Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families. (Dustin, D., Bricker, K., Brownlee, M., Bryan, C., & Rathunde, K.) University of Utah, the National Center for Veteran Studies, and the Kendeda Fund. Research to identify and evaluate nature's resiliency-building and restorative power for Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families. Brownlee: Co-PI; 20%.

*Temporal and spatial distributions of visitor use and associated impacts on natural and social conditions at Buffalo National River. (Sharp, R., & Brownlee, M.). Kansas State University, University of Utah, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform management at Buffalo National River. Brownlee: Co-PI; 35%.

*Evaluation of human use and health outcomes on the Jordan River Trail before and after infrastructure improvement (Brownlee, M.). University of Utah and the Jordan River Foundation. Research to understand the efficacy of sign placement on trail use. Brownlee: PI; 100%.

*Research to support urban outreach strategies at Timpanogos Cave National Monument. (Brownlee, M.). Kansas State University, University of Utah, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform management at Buffalo National River. Brownlee: PI; 100%.

*Wasatch Front Wilderness Stewardship: Assessing and monitoring opportunities for solitude. (Brownlee, M., & Rose, J.). University of Utah and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service. Research to evaluate wilderness quality in three designated wilderness areas along the Wasatch Front. Brownlee: Co-PI; 50%.

*Understanding visitor use at Cumberland Island National Seashore. (Sharp, R., & Brownlee, M.). Kansas State University, University of Utah, and the U.S. National Park Service. Research to inform management at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Brownlee: Co-PI; 51%.

*Evaluating and mapping student preferences for trail features and potential uses in the Red Butte Creek riparian corridor. (Brownlee, M.). University of Utah and Friends of Red Butte Creek. Research to spatially map social preference data in order to outline, compare, and propose the three most socially desirable trail routes. Brownlee: PI; 100%.

*A Comprehensive Survey of OHV Riders in Utah: Benefits Based Analysis and Economic Impact. (Brownlee, M.). University of Utah and the Utah Department of Natural Resources (Division of State Parks and Recreation; OHV Program). Research to evaluate riders' desired benefits, perceived availability of amenities, and monetary expenditures. Brownlee: PI; 100%.

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