Megha Budruk is an associate professor in the parks and recreation management program in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University. She is a natural resource social scientist whose work focuses on natural resource management and community development. Her research interests focus on the inclusion of stakeholder perspectives into resource management. Specifically, she studies human-nature relationships, visitor experience and impact management, and community development within the context of parks, protected areas and cultural monuments. She has extensive research experience with several U.S. federal, state, county and local public land management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Arizona State Parks and Maricopa County Parks. Her work contributes to the long-term sustainability of natural and cultural resource settings through an increased understanding of human relationships with these settings.
Education
Ph.D. Natural Resources, University of Vermont
M.S. Recreation Management and Tourism, Arizona State University
M.S. Environmental Science, University of Poona, India
Budruk, M. & Wilhelm Stanis, S.A. A further exploration of the relationship. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism (2013).
Budruk, M. Wilhelm Stains, S.A., Schneider, I. E., & Anderson, D.H. Differentiating place attachement among proximate and distant visitors to two water-based recreation areas. Society and Natural Resources (2011).
Manning, R.E., et al. Defining, measuring, monitoring and managing the sustainability of parks for outdoor recreation. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration (2011).
Virden, R. & Budruk, M. Reflection on the challenges of providing sustainable leisure opportunities in a world and era of scarce resources. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration (2011).
White, D.D., Aquino, J., Budruk, M., & Golub, A. Visitor Experience and Transportation Systems in Yosemite National Park. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration (2011).
Budruk, M. & Phillips, R. (Eds.). Quality of Life and Community Indicators for Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. (2011).
Myers, D., Budruk, M. & Andereck, K. Quality of Life and Community Indicators for Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Stakeholder Involvement in Destination Level Sustainable Tourism Indicator Development: The Case of a Southwestern U.S. Mining Town (2011).
Phillips, R. & Budruk, M. Quality of Life and Community Indicators for Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Introduction to Quality-of-Life Community Indicators for Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (2011).
. Sustainability. (2011).
Budruk, M. Cross- cultural equivalency of the place attachment scale: A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis approach. Journal of Leisure Research (2010).
Budruk, M., Cowen, L., Yoshioka, C., & Kulinna, P. Physical activity participation constraints among athletic trainers: A profession based assessment. Loisir (2009).
Budruk, M., Thomas, H., & Tyrrell, T. Urban green spaces: Place attachment and environmental attitudes in India. Society and Natural Resources (2009).
Budruk,M., Virden, R., & Waskey, M. Community conversation around public lands: Exploring benefit diversity in the Wood River Valley. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration (2009).
Budruk, M,. White, D., Wodrich, J,. & Van Riper, C. Connecting visitors to people and place: Perceptions of cultural authenticity at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona. Journal of Heritage Tourism (2008).
Budruk, M., Wilhelm Stains, S.A., Schneider, I.E., & Heisey, J. Place attachment dimension and crowding: An exploratory study among water based recreationists. Environmental Management (2008).
Budruk, M., & Manning, R.E. Measuring indicators and standard of quality at an urban-proximate park: Litter and graffiti at Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration (2006).
Nyaupane, G. P., White, D.D., & Budruk, M. An application to native american cultural heritage sites in Arizona, USA. Journal of Heritage Tourism (2006).
Manning, R.E., Leung, Y-F., Budruk, M. Research to support management of visitor carrying capacity of Boston Harbor Islands. Northeast Naturalist (2005).
Hendricks, W.W., Schneider, I.E., & Budruk, M. Extending importance performance analysis with benefit-based segmentation. Journal of Park and recreation Administration (2004).
Manning, R., S. Lawson, P. Newman, M. Burdruk, W. Valliere, D. Laven, & J. Bacon. Visitor perception of recreation-related resource impacts. Environmental Impacts of Ecotourism (2004).
Manning, R., Lawson, S., Newman, P., Valliere, W., Budruk, M., & Laven, D. Application of disciplinary theory and methods in the field of leisure studies. Society and Leisure (2003).
Budruk, M., Schneider, I.E., Andereck, K., & Virden, R. Crowding and satisfaction among visitors to a built in desert attraction. Journal of Park and recreation Administration (2002).
Budruk, M. Valliere, W., Manning, R. Laven, D., & Hof, M. Integrative apporaches to managing the quality of the visitor experience. The George Wrigth Forum (2001).
Schneider, I.E., & Budruk, M. Displacement as a response to the Federal Recreation Fee Program. Journal of Park and Recreational Administration (1999).
Schneider I,. & Budruk, M. Arizona State University Clean and Beautiful Litter survey. (0).
Budruk,Megha S*. Balancing Preservation and Recreation: The acceptance of user fees in Maricopa County Regional Parks. (9/30/2014 - 9/30/2015).
Budruk,Megha S*, Andereck,Kathleen L. Arizona State Parks Trails Historic Preservation Study. AZ STATE PARKS(7/8/2013 - 6/30/2014).
Budruk,Megha S*. Research and Planning Projects - Park Visitor Survey in the Maricopa County Parks System. MARICOPA CNTY-PARKS/REC(2/1/2012 - 7/31/2013).
Feldhaus,Anne*, Budruk,Megha S. Nature-based Religious Places in Western India. NEH(10/1/2011 - 9/30/2015).
Budruk,Megha S*. 2007-08 Maricopa County Parks Visitor Study. MARICOPA CNTY-PARKS/REC(10/1/2007 - 12/31/2008).
Isaac,Gwyneira*, Aguilera,Miguel Astor, Birchfield,David A, Budruk,Megha S, Cowgill,George Lewis, Duwel,Emily, Nelson,Ben A, Sundaram,Hari, Sundaram,Hari, Welsh,Peter Hamilton. City Life: Experiencing the World of Teotihuacn. NEH(5/1/2006 - 9/30/2008).
Budruk,Megha S*. Blaine County (Idaho) Visitor Study. CNTY OF BLAINE-COMMISSION(11/1/2005 - 8/31/2006).
Feldhaus, A. & Budruk, M. Mountain places in western Maharashtra, India. European Conference of South Asian Studies (Jul 2014).
Feldhaus, A. & Budruk, M. Mountain places in western Maharashtra, India. European Conference of South Asian Studies (Jul 2014).
Feldhaus, A. & Budruk, M. Mountain places in western Maharashtra, India. European Conference of South Asian Studies (Jul 2014).
Steffey, E., Budruk, M. and Plunkett, D. Role of social media in dissemination and consumption of information in a southwest regional park system. 26th Annual Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium (Apr 2014).
Budruk, M. Understanding Visitor Experiences in Nature – the Case of Kaas Plateau, Maharashtra, India. 15th International Conference on Maharashtra Culture and Society: (Apr 2014).
Budruk, M. & Feldhaus, A. Transdisciplinary in natural resource management: Insights from a nature- based religious places study in western India. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (Jun 2013).
Plunkett, D., Budruk, M & Lee, W. Destination marketing perspective. TTRA Graduate Colloquium (Jun 2012).
Budruk, M. & Andereck, K. A perspective from the parks, recreation and tourism field. International Congress of Environmental Resarch (Dec 2011).
Budruk, M., Manning, R.E. Valliere, W., Van Riper, C.J. & Goonan, K. Spirituality and nature as a new dimension. 17th International Symposium on Society and Resource Mangement (Jun 2011).
Holloway, A., Budruk, M., & Lee, W. Exploring the influence of personality traits in perceived-crowding and recreational satisfaction in an urban park environment. 17th International Symposium on Society and Resource Mangement (Jun 2011).
Van Riper, C.J., Kyle G.T., Manning R.E., & Budruk, M. Understanding the role in a stated choice analysis of recreationists' preference for resources, social and managing conditions. Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium (Apr 2011).
Budruk, M., Wilhelm Stains, S.A., Scheider, I.E., & Anderson, D.H. Differentiation place among proximate and distant visitors to two water based recreation areas. 16th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (Jun 2010).
Cole, Z., White,D. D., & Budruk, M. Native American Environmental Vales and Natural Resources Management Practices: Quileute Tribal Perspectives. 16th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (Jun 2010).
Budruk, M. A further exploration of the relationship. 15th International Symposium on Society and Resources Management (Jul 2009).
Virden, R.J., & Budruk, M. Exploring relationships between experience use history, motivation and recreation benefit for public land nature based tourists. California Parks and Recreation Society Research Symposium (Mar 2009).
Budruk, M. Natural Resource Management: A social and ecological perspective. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (Jan 2009).
N/A. User Satisfaction. Parks and Recreation Department, City of Phoenix (Aug 2008).
Service
Journal of Leisure Research, Reviewer (2013 - Present)
Tourism in Marine Environments, Reviewer (2013 - Present)
ASU University-Community Partnership for Social Action Research Network, Member, Board of Directors (2013 - Present)
ASU Planning and Advisory Committee, International Academic Partnership Program with India, Commitee member (2012 - Present)
Tourism Management, Reviewer (2012 - Present)
Journal of Heritage Tourism, Reviewer (2010 - Present)
Leisure Sciences, Reviewer (2006 - Present)
Loisir, Reviewer (2006 - Present)
Society and Natural Resources, Reviewer (2005 - Present)
Environment and Behavior, Reviewer (2005 - Present)
