Clark Zealand

Dr. Clark Zealand serves as Professor in the Department of Hospitality & Sport Management within Liberty University’s School of Business. His teaching and research emphasize evidence-based practice, strategic decision-making, and the experiential dimensions of sport, recreation, and tourism. Drawing upon more than two decades of experience as an educator, researcher, and practitioner, Dr. Zealand integrates academic rigor with applied leadership in event management and outdoor adventures.

An entrepreneur at heart, Dr. Zealand has established and grown several ventures that translate his academic expertise into applied practice. As Founder and Race Director of the Grindstone Trail Running Festival by UTMB, he directs a premier international event acclaimed for its world-class operations and community-centered design. Through his consulting and research initiative, Compass & Cause, Dr. Zealand advances purpose-driven initiatives that enhance outdoor accessibility for families in the autism community to experience connection, restoration, and belonging through nature-based recreation.

Dr. Zealand’s scholarship engages interdisciplinary perspectives to examine outdoor adventure participation, the design of meaningful participant experiences, and the use of data-informed methods to improve decision-making within recreation and endurance sport contexts. His publications and presentations span academic and industry audiences alike, demonstrating a purposeful integration of scholarship, leadership, and service through scholarly outlets, professional forums, and international conference proceedings.