UND alum to speak on trends in tourism, recreation Feb. 12 Trends in tourism and recreation are the topic of a presentation by Norma Nickerson, an alumnus of the recreation and leisure services degree program at UND. The presentation will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, in Room 109, Education Building. The public is welcome to attend. Nickerson earned a bachelor's degree from UND with a major in recreation, and later completed a Ph.D. in recreation and leisure at the University of Utah. She is a professor in the School of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana, and is director of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. Nickerson received the Outstanding RLS alumnus award from the UND recreation and leisure services program in 2004. An active researcher in the field of tourism and outdoor recreation, she has authored many articles, book chapters and research reports, and is a frequent presenter at tourism conferences. An editor for several tourism journals, she is active in many organizations, such as the Travel and Tourism Research Association and Travel Industry Association.