-
Jinyang Deng
- Associate Professor
- Office:
- 409M
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- (979) 314-8163
Education
- Undergraduate Education
- B.S. Agriculture (Forestry)
- Central South University of Forestry & Technology, China
- Graduate Education
- GIS Technology Certificate, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada
- MS GIS (one-year graduate coursework), University of Calgary, Canada
- M.S. Agriculture (Forest Recreation), Central South University of Forestry & Technology, China
- Ph.D. Physical Education and Recreation (Recreation and Leisure Studies), University of Alberta, Canada
- Awards
- 2021 Outstanding Faculty in Research, WVU Division of Forestry and Natural Resources
- 2008 Chen Chuankang Outstanding Paper Award in Tourism Geography
Areas of Expertise
Rural tourism
Ecotourism
Tourism Planning
Recreation Economy
Urban Forests
GIS
Professional Summary
Jinyang Deng, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hospitality, Hotel Management and Tourism. He was previously a Professor at West Virginia University where he served as program coordinator from 2018 to 2019. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Canada. Since completing his MS thesis research on the economic benefits of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in 1990, his academic career has centered on public lands, rural tourism, nature-based tourism, and community development in China, Australia, Canada, and the USA.
His current research interests include rural tourism, ecotourism, tourism planning, and urban forests. He investigates topics such as environmental attitudes and behaviors, GIS applications in recreation and tourism, visitor profiles and tourism markets, tourism economic impacts, stakeholders’ attitudes towards rural tourism, and the recreational use of urban forests. His research has received funding from federal agencies (e.g., USDA Forest Service, USDA NIFA, Appalachian Regional Commission), state governments (e.g., West Virginia Department of Commerce, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority, MD), foundations (e.g., Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, WVU Foundation), and DMOs (e.g., Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, Pocahontas County CVB).
His work has been published in Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, Journal of Travel Research, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Current Issues in Tourism, Leisure Sciences, Journal of Leisure Research, Journal of Environmental Management, Environment and Behavior, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, among others. He is an associate editor of Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism and served as an associate editor of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration from 2017 to 2022. He was also on the editorial board of Tourism Analysis from 2017 to 2024.