Welcome to the Protected Areas Research Collaborative (PARC) Lab at Penn State University.

The PARC lab trains graduate and undergraduate students in applied research methodologies focusing on informing visitor management (soundscapes, visitor flow, integrated transportation, education) in the context of park and protected areas.

The PARC Lab is co-lead by Drs. Peter Newman and Derrick Taff.

The research collaborative also houses the PARC Listening Lab. This lab is a collaborative effort between the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management in the College of Human Health and Development and the Graduate Program in Acoustics in the College of Engineering at Penn State as well as the Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont  .

Our work is funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Park Service, Leave No Trace, the National Park Foundation, and others.