Education
B.S. in Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University
M.S. in Recreation Administration- Specialization in Therapeutic Recreation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance- Concentration in Therapeutic Recreation; Minor in Special Education, University of Florida
Scholarly Contributions
Dr. Autry has been a professor for over 20 years at the University of Florida, Arizona State University, Florida International University and ECU. She has over 100 presentations at state, national, and international conferences on her research related to recreational therapy/therapeutic recreation and higher education, youth development, therapeutic sailing and virtual reality sailing simulation, adventure therapy, community development, and homelessness. She has over 25 publications in refereed journals such as the Therapeutic Recreation Journal (TRJ), ATRA Annual in TR, World Leisure Journal (WLJ), International Leisure Review (ILR), Leisure Sciences, Leisure/Loisir, SCHOLE, Sociology of Sport Journal, and Palaestra.
Featured Publications
Loy, D. P., Autry, C. E., & Warner, E. (2025). Examining flow in adaptive sport and recreation: Validating the Flow State Scale-2. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 59(3), 307–323. https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2025-V59-I3-12629
Autry, C. E., & Anderson, S. C. (2022). Virtual reality sailing simulation for people with physical disabilities: Learn to sail. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 56 (2), 177-190. https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2022-V56-I2-11352
Autry, C. E., Anderson, S. C., & Sklar, S. L. (2020). The 2019 therapeutic recreation education survey: A fifty-year comparison. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 54(4)/ATRA Annual in Therapeutic Recreation, 27, 339-365. https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2020-V54-I4-10420
Leadership & Professional Service
Dr. Autry has been a professor for over 20 years at the University of Florida, Arizona State University, Florida International University and ECU. She has over 100 presentations at state, national, and international conferences on her research related to recreational therapy/therapeutic recreation and higher education, youth development, therapeutic sailing and virtual reality sailing simulation, adventure therapy, community development, and homelessness. She has over 25 publications in refereed journals such as the Therapeutic Recreation Journal (TRJ), ATRA Annual in TR, World Leisure Journal (WLJ), International Leisure Review (ILR), Leisure Sciences, Leisure/Loisir, SCHOLE, Sociology of Sport Journal, and Palaestra.