On Nov. 7, 2009, the University’s Outdoor Program was awarded the David J. Webb Program Excellence Award by the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education.
According to the David J. Webb award announcement, this national award recognizes one outstanding outdoor recreation program each year that provides dynamic and innovative services to its participants, demonstrates professionalism and high standards of conduct, and contributes to the outdoor community at large by sharing information and assisting other programs.
The University’s Outdoor Program is most popular for its expeditions including single day, weekend and week-long trips around the Eastern United States. These trips include white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, backpacking, rock climbing, horseback riding, caving, rappelling and mountain biking.
Jerome Gabriel, who has been the director of the Outdoor program for two years, was first involved in the program as a graduate student assistant and then worked his way to director.
‘I first found out about the program winning the award through a phone call on Nov. 3 while playing disc golf,’ he said. ‘We then received the award at a conference in Minneapolis Minnesota on Nov. 7.’
The David J. Webb award was created in 2002 and was first given to Brigham Young University. Only six other universities across the nation share this award, including Cornell University and the University of Utah.
‘I was a little surprised that the University won the award because northwest Ohio is not located in an area of the country known for outdoor recreation,’ said Gabriel.
With only a director position, the Outdoor Program relies heavily on student staff volunteers who contribute their time and hard work training and working on trips on weekends and over the summer.
‘We hope that this award will give us a little more recognition to students and more people understand all of the things we do and offer to the University,’ Gabriel said.
Bryan Cavins worked on creating the University’s Outdoor Program in 1999 after having visited Miami University in 1993. Cavins admired Miami Outdoor Program so much he wanted to bring something similar to the University.
‘As the former director of the OP [Outprogram Program], I basically started the program from scratch and said ‘You know what, if we work hard we can be like Miami,” said Cavins. ‘Now we offer a lot to students, with a climbing wall, the Freshman Wilderness Experience and other leadership initiations.’
Cavins said right now the University is a bit challenged financially but is confident Jerome Gabriel will do very well despite this because he has some great ideas.
‘I finished my degree in 2005 and I was happy to be able to pass the torch to Jerome and leave this program in good hands,’ he said.
Cavins said without the student volunteers, and help from administration over the years, the program would not be where it is today, and success is key with the hard work of these people.’
