Education
BA Sociology Wake Forest University
MS in Recreation Administration with concentration in Therapeutic Recreation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
PhD in Administration and Leadership in Nonprofit and Public Sector, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Scholarly Contributions
Dr, Kemeny is the author of 28 peer-reviewed publications and 14 published research abstracts. Her first research area focuses on best practices in staff development and interventions for older adults with dementia. Her textbook, RT for Older Adults, is the only one in the field with that exact focus. She has also contributed significantly to the literature on animal-assisted interventions with youth on the autism spectrum and older adults. Another area of focus is the ATRA competencies study and research, which seeks to explain the implications of Recreational Therapy to other professions (such as Life Care Planners).
Featured Publications
Kemeny, B., Fawber, H., Finegan, J., & Marcinko, D. (2020). Recreational Therapy: Implications for life care planners. International Journal of Life Care Planning, 18(4), 35-58.
Kemeny, B., Burk, S., Hutchins, D., & Gramlich, C. (2022). Therapeutic riding or mindfulness:
Comparative effectiveness of two Recreational Therapy interventions for adolescents with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52, 2438–2462.
Kemeny, B. (2024). Recreational Therapy for Older Adults, 2nd Edition. Urbana, IL: Sagamore-Venture.
Leadership & Professional Service
From 2014 to 2022, Dr. Kemeny has served on the board of directors for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association as a Member-at-Large, Secretary, and President. She was the President of the National Academy of Recreational Therapists from 2022-2024 and Past President from 2024-2025.
Professional Awards & Recognition
2025 President’s Award for Service, Slippery Rock University
2024 President’s Award for Scholarly Achievement, Slippery Rock University
2024 Academy of Teaching Scholars, Slippery Rock University
2023 Scholarly Achievement, American Therapeutic Recreation Association
2023 Best Research Poster, ATRA Research Institute
2023 Finalist, President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, SRU
2022 Presidential Citation, American Therapeutic Recreation Association
2018 Fellow, Distinguished in Recreational Therapy
2018 Best Research Poster, ATRA Research Institute
2018 President’s Award for Community Engagement Ambassador, SRU