Steve Sassaman

Dr. Steve Sassaman (he/they/ki) is an experiential educator and researcher whose work is centered on enhancing community interdependence through healthy engagement with nature. Steve has over 15 years of experience in outdoor education, including residential summer camp management, professional guiding, and collegiate recreation program development. Steve’s research agenda includes identifying best practices to achieve positive mental health outcomes through engagement with the more-than-human and examining how socialized gender norms influence social and environmental injustice. What drives Steve is guiding individuals to realize their unique talents, skills, and abilities while helping to reconnect humans to our sense of being a part of, rather than estranged from, nature.

Dr. Sassaman serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor and Outdoor Recreation Program Director in the School of Community Resources and Development, where he specializes in experiential learning, nature-based wellness, and leadership development in outdoor settings. At ASU, he oversees the new Outdoor Connections program, which emphasizes inclusion, equity, and community building through adventure- and nature-based engagement. His professional certifications include ACA Level 2 Kayak Touring Instructor, Adaptive Climbing Facilitator, American Red Cross Instructor Trainer, AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor, Arizona Search and Rescue Technician II, Arizona SAR Tracker III, Certified Therapeutic Adventure Specialist, Challenge Course Manager, Leave No Trace Level 3 Instructor, Mental Health First Aid, Behavioral First Responder, Swift Water Rescue, and Wilderness First Responder.