Faculty

Dr. Alexandra Sandoval

Dr. Alexandra “Alex” Sandoval, Assistant Professor, joined the Department of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism in August 2021. Alex received a Bachelor’s in Recreation Management from Appalachian State University, where she first fell in love with learning about recreation and leisure in the classroom. Alex then pursued a Master’s degree in Recreation Administration at the University of Southern Illinois Carbondale, where she also served as the Aquatics Graduate Assistant in campus recreation.

After receiving her M.S., Alex worked as a full-time Aquatics campus recreation professional at both the University of Southern Mississippi and The University of Alabama, where she was responsible for overseeing undergraduate student employees, youth programming, NCAA swim meets, and facility management. Looking to bring her experiences in the recreation field to life in the classroom, Alex decided to pursue her doctorate and completed her Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management in May 2021 from Clemson University, where her research interests turned toward youth development programming.

In her spare time, Alex loves to spend time recreating: whether it’s outdoors exploring natural areas, or checking out new cities or towns, Alex will have her 3-year-old dachshund Elphie along for the adventure.