Biography
Dr. Clark Zealand joined the Sport Management faculty in 2008 as the first Sport Management faculty member at Liberty to specialize in outdoor recreation. While at Liberty, Dr. Zealand has served as the Secretary (2009-2010), Vice-Chair (2010-2011), and Chair (2011-2012) of the Graduate Faculty Senate; Director of Sport Management Graduate Studies (2011-2016); and Associate Dean of the School of Education (2016-2017).
Prior to joining the faculty at Liberty, Dr. Zealand received his doctoral degree from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario.
Scriptural Inspiration
“Forever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” – Romans 1:20, NLT
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens, he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course” – Psalm 19:1-5, NIV
Research Interests
- Adventure Sport Management
- Outdoor Recreation Experiences and Visitor Management
- Wilderness and Environmental Philosophy
- Interpretive Methodologies and Environmental Epidemiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Career Highlights
Dr. Zealand possesses a wide range of experience and knowledge within the sport industry. While owning and operating an e-commerce business, which specializes in gear for trail runners; He is also the founder and owner of Eco-X Sports, a race management company that exists to provide individuals with recreational and competitive sporting events, athletic instruction, lifestyle education and outdoor-related research. Dr. Zealand is also the race director for a handful of well-known races, including the Terrapin Mountain 50k and Half-Marathon, Grindstone 100 and Mountain Masochist 50 Mile Trail Run.
Dr. Zealand works with the Run for a Reason organization in which he created and directs an annual race called Coleman’s Run. Coleman’s Run is a 5k benefit race for autism awareness. This race is named after Zealand’s son, Coleman, who was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. The purpose of the race is to offer hope to parents of autistic children and encourage them to seek out the full potential of their child.
In addition to being on the business side of the sport industry, Zealand is also an elite athlete and former coach. He was the distance coach for the Liberty Track and Cross Country teams from 1996-2002, and is currently a sponsored ultra-runner, selected to run as a member of the Patagonia Ultra Running Team. He has competed in numerous ultra-races and has holds several course records.
Throughout the year, Zealand also serves as a niche product tester for various outdoor adventure companies and has served as a consultant for numerous agencies including the Parks Canada Agency, the United States Forest Service, The Conservation Alliance and the Leave-No-Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.