As outdoor recreation continues to grow as a major economic and environmental force, Oregon State University is positioning its Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy, or CORE, for its next stage of impact.
The center is transitioning to the OSU College of Forestry, where it will be housed in the Forest Ecosystems and Society Department. Professor Randy Rosenberger will serve as interim director, helping guide CORE’s next stage and long-term vision.
The move builds on CORE’s foundation while aligning its work more closely with the College of Forestry’s strengths in applied, impact-driven research.
“CORE has always been about connecting the outdoor industry with the university,” Rosenberger said. “This next phase is about strengthening that connection through research that directly informs decisions and practice.”
Since its launch through OSU’s Impact Studio, CORE has focused on workforce training, industry partnerships and applied work tied to the outdoor recreation sector. Over time, the center has been housed across multiple units at OSU, most recently in the Division of Educational Ventures, where it expanded its online learning and training programs.
Now, CORE is positioned to build on that work by making applied research the central driver.
The goal is to create an integrated model — where research informs industry partnerships and workforce development, and those relationships, in turn, shape future education and training.
“This is a natural evolution,” Rosenberger said. “We’ve built strong industry relationships and developed educational programs. Now we’re ready to grow our research capacity and bring those pieces together in a cohesive way.”
As part of that shift, CORE is exploring opportunities to support large-scale, collaborative research that addresses real-world needs in outdoor recreation. That includes efforts such as the Outdoor Recreation Access and Participation Survey, or ORAPS, which aims to improve data on how people access and use outdoor spaces to better inform planning and policy.
The College of Forestry provides a strong foundation for that work. Oregon State is an R1 research university, and its College of Forestry is consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation. Together, they offer the scale, expertise and partnerships needed to support interdisciplinary research at the intersection of natural resources, outdoor recreation and community needs.
“Oregon is a national leader in the outdoor recreation economy,” Rosenberger said. “We look forward to CORE playing a key role by bringing together research, industry and workforce development.”
In the coming months, faculty, staff and partners will work to develop a strategic plan to guide CORE’s future direction, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability and impact.