Keith Russell

Keith C. Russell, Ph.D., is a faculty member in WWU's accredited Recreation Management and Leadership program and served as chair of the Health and Human Development department from 2015-2023. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Idaho and taught at the University of New Hampshire and University of Minnesota before joining WWU in 2008. Russell has received numerous awards, including the Faculty Leadership Award in 2020 and the Distinguished Researcher Award in 2010, and has served on the Faculty Senate, the provost’s Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and the American Camping Association’s National Research Advisory Board. His research focuses on non-profit organizations serving First Nation and Alaska Native youth struggling with addiction, blending clinical treatment with culturally informed adventure therapy. He has over 60 publications and co-authored Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice (2nd ed., 2020).