Roberts, Nina S.
Nina S. Roberts
Dr. Nina S. Roberts was a leading researcher and advocate for diversity in the outdoors. She spent 22 working in parks, increasing diversity, park access, and recreation opportunities on public land. Dr. Roberts was a staunch supporter of social and environmental justice. She was also nationally known for improving urban youth, women, and girls’ outdoor access, including the connection to developing healthy lifestyles. In 2005 she began working at San Francisco State University, where she held leadership positions, including as director of the Pacific Leadership Institute and, most recently, as the Institute for Civic & Community Engagement faculty director.
“To me, our real challenge lies in not trying to “bring people of color into the woods” to teach them, but more importantly, to create opportunities for them to learn on their own. We must focus on connections. Connecting people to parks and other outdoor areas through education and recreation provides an open door that is all too often closed.” - Dr. Nina Roberts, 2016
Warren, K., Roberts, N.S., Bruenig, M. & Alvarez, T. (2014). Social justice in outdoor experiential education: Past, present and future. Journal of Experiential Education, 37(1), 89-103
Roberts, N.S. & Chitewere, T. (2011). Speaking of Justice: Exploring Ethnic Minority Perspectives of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Environmental Practice, 13(4), 354-369.
Roberts, N.S. & Suren, A. (2010). Through the eyes of youth: A qualitative evaluation of outdoor leadership programs. Journal of Parks and Recreation Administration, 28(4), 59-80.
Roberts, N.S. (2009). Crossing the color line with a different perspective on whiteness and (anti)racism: A response to Mary McDonald. Journal of Leisure Research, 41(4), 493-507.
Roberts, N.S. (2009). Impacts of the National Green Corps Eco-club program on students in India and their participation
Dr. Nina Roberts was born in New York City on December 10, 1960, to James and Colette Roberts, a retired businessman and freelance artist. Dr. Roberts, along with her parents, two sisters, and brother, moved frequently throughout the Northeast and lived in New York City, Boston, and the suburbs of Philly and Washington, D.C. While she loves city life, a childhood spent in such densely populated areas resulted in Dr. Roberts’ lifelong quest to find a sanctuary. For Dr. Roberts, this sanctuary is the outdoors. She regularly attended camp as a child and eventually became a camp counselor. This position sparked her interest in recreation, natural resource management, and environmental education. As a result, she embraced the value of developing a career and making a living in parks and the outdoors.
Dr. Roberts earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and recreation from Bridgewater State College, a master’s degree in outdoor recreation and resource management from the University of Maryland, College Park, and, in 2003, she earned a doctorate in outdoor recreation and natural resources management from Colorado State University.
Dr. Roberts began her work in the environmental field in 1983 as Assistant Program Director at a Boston Area YMCA, Roosevelt Heights Community Center. Her responsibilities focused on providing recreational and environmental activities for youth whose families resided in low-income neighborhoods. This job solidified her interest in outdoor recreation, and in 1984 she started work at the Hale Reservation, a 1,200-acre outdoor education center.
In 1990 Dr. Roberts started her master’s program. She graduated in 1992 and began working in 1993 at The Prince William County Park Authority in Northern Virginia. She was the Assistant Park Manager from 1993 to 1994. She was then Project Manager at The Environmentors Project from 1994 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998, Dr. Roberts was the Assistant Director of the Student Conservation Association (SCA) National Urban & Diversity Program in Arlington, Virginia. In 1998 she moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, for her doctoral program and worked as a research associate for the SCA’s Regional and National Programs.
While at Colorado State University, Dr. Roberts interned as a park ranger with the National Parks Service from 2001 to 2002. After graduating with her doctorate, Dr. Roberts worked as an Education & Outreach Specialist from 2002 to 2005 for the National Parks Service’s Natural Resource Program Center in Fort Collins. In 2004, she worked a three-month detail as Special Assistant to the Director in Washington, D.C.
In 2005, Dr. Roberts accepted an Assistant Professor position at San Fransciso State University. She was a San Francisco State University professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism. There she focused on teaching and research on youth development, park management, outdoor recreation, leadership, and urban programming. These courses, among others, always include social and environmental justice content for student learning and awareness. In 2009, Dr. Roberts was promoted to Associate Professor. She earned tenure in 2011 and became a full professor in 2014.
From 2005 to 2017, Dr. Roberts directed the Pacific Leadership Initiative. Since 2017, Dr. Roberts had been the Institute for Civic & Community Engagement faculty director.
Connecting with those she works with has not always been an easy task. However, striving to reach her personal and professional goals and her respect for the outdoors has kept Roberts in the environmental field.
Dr. Roberts respects the environment as her teacher. She discovered more about herself and the world through spending time outdoors than any other venue. Further, maintaining a career in the environmental field allowed her to both work towards educating people about environmental protection and have a voice in political decision-making. These aspects of the environmental field kept her grounded during challenging times.
Dr. Roberts was a prolific researcher and author of numerous publications on outdoor programming and leadership, youth development, and race/culture and gender. She worked with several organizations, including the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, and East Bay Regional Parks, to conduct youth development research. Dr. Roberts also served on numerous boards, including Yosemite Institute, GirlVentures, UC Berkeley’s Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity, and the Lawrence Hall of Science. Community service was a big part of her job.
Dr. Roberts wrote over 75 publications, 200 presentations, and nearly a million dollars in grants/contracts. She had been recognized and honored for her local, state, and international contributions. In 2007, Dr. Roberts received the Kurt Hahn Award, which is “presented annually to a person who has contributed to the development and advancement of experiential education with the tenacity and conviction that was exemplified by Kurt Hahn” ( Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism. 2022).
Dr. Roberts’s career had many outstanding accomplishments, including being a Fulbright Scholar in India with the Indo-American Environmental Leadership Program. However, she was most proud of her work as the national coordinator of the “Take Back the Trails” initiative in 1997. The initiative’s goals included involving 30,000 people nationwide to hike, backpack, or go camping over Memorial Day weekend to demonstrate their commitment and belief in outdoor recreation, emphasizing support and encouragement for women and girls. Dr. Roberts led a small national committee that coordinated the event and made it a huge success. This event and others have given Dr. Roberts significant visibility in the environmental field. Consequently, as a woman of color doing this work, she was also able to connect with, and mentor, young minorities across the country.
The advice and examples set by Dr. Roberts’s mentors played a role in her success and perseverance. When asked to identify her mentors, Dr. Roberts listed five individuals: Jan Harris, Flip Hagood, Liz Titus, Audrey Peterman, and Bill Gwaltney. Jan Harris was her undergraduate academic advisor and influenced Dr. Roberts’s career decisions.
Flip Hagood was her supervisor during her time with the Student Conservation Association (SCA). He advised her and demonstrated tremendous faith and trust in Dr. Roberts and her decisions.
Liz Titus is the founder of the SCA. She opened the doors to women in natural resources in many ways and provided opportunities for girls and young women to learn and grow in the field.
Audrey Peterman is a consultant, author, and parks advocate. Peterman and Dr. Roberts possess a similar energy that allows them to work well together. Collectively, they brainstormed ways to create change and continue making progress through innovation and vital initiatives.
Finally, Bill Gwaltney supervised her research fellowship at Rocky Mountain National Park and eventually hired her through the Student Career Experience Program as a Colorado doctoral student. Gwaltney opened many doors for Dr. Roberts with the National Park Service and was her champion as she pursued her career in higher education. He kept her connected with the NPS.
Just as others have served as important mentors for Dr. Roberts, she served as a mentor for others through her work with the SCA, NPS, and other state and federal land management agencies, as well as a variety of universities coast-to-coast.
Dr. Roberts was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland, George Mason University, and Colorado State University. This allowed her to spend time with students, including minorities, interested in the environmental field. Additionally, Dr. Roberts said that her heritage of East Indian, British, and West Indian descent allows her to mentor others uniquely.
Through her work with the SCA and the NPS, she maintained constant contact with young women and minorities. She shared with them the value of natural resources and the benefits of an environmental career.
Dr. Roberts’ advice to young women and minorities is to learn effective cross-cultural boundaries and to communicate goals and love of nature. She also suggested that individuals put themselves in leadership positions as often as possible, especially those providing multiple perspectives to typical traditional settings. Finally, Dr. Roberts advised that individuals find ways to understand themselves better: “Determine and understand your own values and judgments and how they may shape your attitudes and beliefs about the natural world and other people’s connection to it” (2005).
Interview conducted by Multicultural Environmental Leadership Development Initiative staff. 2016. University of Michigan – School of Natural Resources and Environment. Ann Arbor, MI.
Taylor, Dorceta (Ed.). 2005. The Paths We Thread: Profiles of the Careers of Minority Environmental Professionals. Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism. (2022, March 29). Passing of Professor Nina Roberts. Retrieved July 24, 2023 from https://rpt.sfsu.edu/in-memoriam-nina-roberts.