Lester Zook

Lester Zook has served at EMU since 1988. He chairs the Department of Physical Education and Recreation, and teaches primarily in the Camping, Recreation and Outdoor Ministry program. He earned a B.A. from Messiah College, a masters from Temple University and an Ed.D. from the University of Virginia. He has been awarded the ODAC Cross Country Coach of the Year award four times and has taken several athletes on to the NCAA Division III National Championship in cross country and track and field.

B.A., Messiah College (1982)
M.Ed., Temple University (1985)
Ed.D., University of Virginia (1995)

CLIMBING ROCKingham County, Virginia (2nd Edition), Harrisonburg, VA, April, 2006.

• Come, Refresh, Flow. 3 keynote sessions at the Presbyterian Camp and Conference Association Annual Conference, Massanetta Springs, VA (Nov. 6, 8, and 10, 2005).
• Trends in Programming. A 2-session workshop at the Allegheny Sectional Conference of the Christian Camp and Conference Association, Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Mount Pleasant, PA (February 27-28, 2006).
  
• Avoiding Incidents in the Outdoors. A workshop presented at the Waynesboro Parks and Recreation Department EXTREMEFEST, Waynesboro, VA (June 3, 2006).
  
• Foundations of Programming in Christian Camping, two-session workshop at the Christian Camping International Eastern Sectional Conference, Camp Hebron, PA
  (Jan. 25, 2005).
  
• Reinfusing Christian Camping with Adventure, workshop at the Binational Conference of the Mennonite Camping Association, Spruce Lake Retreat, PA (March 18, 2008).
  
• Human Attitudes that Lead to Suffering in the Backcountry. workshop at the Binational Conference of the Mennonite Camping Association, Spruce Lake Retreat, PA (March 19, 2008).
  
• Adventure in Christian Camping, presentation at the Virginia Church Camp Leaders’ Gathering, Camp Overlook, VA (Nov. 27, 2007)
  
• Sports and the Life of the Church, A workshop presented at the Binational Conference of the Mennonite Camping Association, Spruce Lake Retreat, PA (March 19, 2008).

• Meet Director for the Virginia State Cross Country Meet (Oct. 6, 2007)
• Camp Horizons Advisory Board
• Coordinator for the Friends of George Washington National * Forest Coalition
• JMU Table Tennis Club Visiting Coach
• Wild Wonderful West Virginia Mountain State Adventure. Head Guide for an EMHS mini-term experience (April 24-28, 2006)
• Weavers Church Vision Team (Chair)
• EMU Faculty lunch forum, presenting findings from a summer teaching grant: Teaching Outdoor Adventure Risk Management: Mechanisms and Mindset (March 15, 2005)
• Chair for the planning committee (several students and faculty) for the EMU Health Aware Fair; a campus event for promoting positive health awareness and lifestyle choices, Feb. 25, 2005).
• Dissertation committee member for Julie Wallace Carr, George Washington University, (March 8, 2005)
• Mountain Climbing, presentation at Thomas Harrison Middle School (Dec. 10, 2004)
• Home School Physical Education class for grades 1-8, Spring 2008.
• Head Track and Field Coach, Eastern Mennonite High School, (2007 – 2008)

• EMU Summer (2004) Teaching Grant: Teaching Outdoor Adventure Risk Management: Mechanisms and Mindset.
• EMU Faculty Sabbaticals: Spring, 1999, 2006.
• 20-year Service Award, Eastern Mennonite University (April, 2008).

• American Mountain Guides Association: Top Rope Site Manager
• Wilderness First Responder
• National Speleological Society: Cave Rescue
• Commercial Guiding Permits for Monongahela National Forest, George Washington National Forest, and Shenandoah National Park

• American Mountain Guides Association
• National Speleological Society
• American Camping Association
• USA Table Tennis
• The Access Fund

• Presbyterian Camp and Conference Association, Massanaetta Springs, VA (Nov. 6-10, 2005)
• Allegheny Sectional of the Christian Camp and Conference Association, Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Mount Pleasant, PA (February 26-28, 2006).
• American Mountain Guides Association: Top Rope Site Manager Recertification, Great Falls National Park, VA (April 4-5, 2006).
• National Cave Rescue Commission: Orientation to Cave Rescue, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (March 11-12, 2006).
• Public forum on the Rock Outcrop Management Project (Shenandoah National Park, April 1, 2006).
• Wilderness Medical Associates: Wilderness First Responder Recertification (Dec. 8-10, 2007)
• Wilderness Risk Managers’ Conference sponsored by Outward Bound and NOLS at Penn State University, PA (Oct. 17-19, 2003).
• Binational Conference of the Mennonite Camping Association, Spruce Lake Retreat, PA (March 17-20, 2008).
• Virginia Church Camp Leaders’ Gathering, Camp Overlook, VA (Nov. 27, 2007)

• Faculty Senate (2006-08)
• Academic Council
• EMU Prioritization Steering Committee (2005-06)
• Listening and Facilitation Team (LiFT)
• EMU Table Tennis Club Faculty Advisor
• EMU Commons Council